Cecemoore

CeCe is an independent professional genetic genealogist and media consultant. She has worked for three seasons as the genetic genealogy consultant and scriptwriter for the PBS Television documentary series Finding Your Roots with Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (since 2013). She is a highly sought after media consultant and the founder of The DNA Detectives, which boasts an online following of over 30,000 people.

CeCe collaborates regularly with ABC’s 20/20, showcasing her cutting-edge work reuniting individuals of unknown parentage with biological relatives through genetic genealogy. She has appeared as a genetic genealogy expert on CBS This Morning, Nightline, Good Morning America, The Dr. Oz Show, The Doctors, Nancy Grace, Crime Watch Daily and Finding Your Roots. Her research has been also featured on PBS’ Genealogy Roadshow for all three seasons.

As a leading proponent of genetic genealogy education, CeCe is the co-founder of the Institute for Genetic Genealogy and has written the popular blog Your Genetic Genealogist since 2010. CeCe has taken a leadership role in creating educational resources for the genetic genealogy community and is co-chair of the genetic genealogy standards committee. She helped create and teach the groundbreaking first genetic genealogy courses at all of the major genealogical institutes, including GRIPitt, SLIG, IGHR and FGI. CeCe organized the Institute for Genetic Genealogy conferences, held in Washington D.C. in 2014 and San Diego in 2016. She created and runs the largest online DNA-focused forum, the DNA Detectives Facebook group, as well as administering many other educational genetic genealogy online groups, forums and mailing lists.

CeCe is considered an innovator in the use of autosomal DNA for genealogy, frequently consulted by DNA testing companies, genealogists, adoptees and the press. She has close working relationships with all of the major genetic genealogy testing companies, was invited to create and lead the Ancestry Ambassador program for 23andMe by their CEO, Anne Wojcicki in 2012 and consults for The New York Genome Project. She also serves on the American Society of Human Genetics’ Genetic Ancestry Inference Committee.

CeCe writes regularly for The Root and PBS online and has been quoted on the subject of DNA in the Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, People Magazine, Harper's Magazine, Business Insider, ABC News online, Live Science, Huffington Post, The Root, Washington Times, Miami Herald, Palm Beach Post, Orange County Register, Discover Magazine’s Gene Expression, Science Blog’s Genetic Future, Genomes Unzipped, Genomics Law Report, Fox Health, CNN's Paging Dr. Gupta, BioArray News, The Invisible History of the Human Race, The Foundling and many others.

She works extensively on a pro-bono basis with individuals of unknown parentage to help them learn about their genetic heritage, often reuniting them with biological family members. Notably, CeCe led the research teams that recently solved the high profile cases involving amnesiac Benjaman Kyle and foundling Paul Fronczak.

CeCe is a Southern California native and attended the University of Southern California, studying music and theatre on a full scholarship. Prior to her involvement in genetic genealogy, CeCe had been active in the entertainment industry for over two decades, performing leading roles in professional musical theatre such as Phantom and West Side Story and appearing in numerous television commercials, as well as producing many advertising campaigns for broadcast. A longtime member of Screen Actors Guild, CeCe has worked with celebrated director Francis Ford Coppola, Superstar Michael Jackson, conductor Bill Conti, Mickey Rourke, Dennis Hopper, John Ratzenberger, Juliet Prowse, David Lynch, John Stamos, Carol Alt, Daniela Pestova, Dick Van Patten, Ed McMahon and represented corporate giants such as Coca Cola, AT&T, Porsche, American Express and “Barbie” for Mattel. She is also a member of Mensa.

CeCe is the very proud mother of a very talented boy (her favorite genetic experiment) who loves genetic genealogy almost as much as she does.

Autosomal DNA Research

CeCe has tested over forty close family members’ DNA, spanning four generations; studying these DNA comparisons to better understand the complex inheritance patterns of autosomal DNA. In doing so, she has been able to map specific portions of her genome to her known ancestors. As a genealogist, she finds it very meaningful to know whom among her beloved ancestors contributed specific pieces of her DNA. Spurred on by the results of one of these DNA tests, CeCe discovered that her brother-in-law and nieces are directly descended from Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson. Due to this surprising discovery she has been inspired to undertake an autosomal DNA research project focusing on the descendants of Sally Hemings and Thomas Jefferson. (Please contact her at for more information.)

Surname Research

Moore - Ontario, Canada, Michigan and Dutchess County, New York; Proctor - Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Virginia and England; Reini - Seattle, Washington and South Ostrobothnia, Finland; Allen - Melbourne, Australia and Gloucestershire, England; Huhtala - South Ostrobothnia, Finland; Wiita - South Ostrobothnia, Finland; Herstad - Trondheim, Norway; Travis - Iowa and Pennsylvania; Stolebarger / Stoalabarger / Stolabarger - Iowa, Pennsylvania and the Palatinate; Armstrong - Ontario, Canada and England; Cole - Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois; Purdy - Minnesota and Canada; Einersen - Trondheim, Norway; Chitts - Australia and England; LeMain - Minnesota and Canada; Roderick / Rothrock - Pennsylvania and the Palatinate; Ames - Ontario, Canada and Washtenaw and Eaton Counties, Michigan; Cornell - Ontario, Canada and Dutchess County, New York; Eastman - Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois; Redican / Radican / Radigan / Rattekin / Ratekin- Kentucky and Virginia; Moore - Kentucky and Virginia; Lamkin / Lampkin - Kentucky and Virginia; Hewitt - Illinois, Connecticut, England; Gillet / Gillett / Gillette / De Gylett - Illinos, CT, Mass, England and France