Genomes & Behavior

Genomes are obviously important in determining who we are and what our health risks might be, but genes aren't everything – far from it. Our genes interact as their expression is shaped in complex ways by our way of life, our personal experiences and the environments we either find ourselves in or choose. That raises deep questions that scientists have only been able to begin to address in the last decade: Where does personality and behavior come from? How do we make decisions and are we always responsible for those decisions? And how do genetics and the environment combine to convey either risk or resilience in the face of life's stresses?

Ongoing work by members of the IGSP Interactome is exploring these questions through longitudinal studies that have tracked the physical and mental health and lifestyles of individuals from the time they were young children into adulthood. Those efforts have uncovered links between specific genetic mutations along with maltreatment during childhood and elevated rates of depression, anti-social behavior, self esteem and health problems such as elevated inflammation and heart disease. Others are taking a different approach, applying modern molecular genetics together with neuroimaging methods to identify specific biological pathways that help shape individual differences in temperament and personality, as well as neuropsychiatric disease. Still others are exploring the interplay between genes and behavior in nonhuman primates.

The results of these efforts have been recognized for their potential to effect educational and social policy. They may also lead to the development of more effective, individually tailored treatments or preventive measures for mental disorders.