Once we succeed in discovering and replicating specific genetic variants that are correlated with human behavior, we are still left with many fundamental questions unanswered - what comes next? For all the genes correlated with human behavior that have been identified in the last decade, our understanding of how these genes come to be correlated with behavior remains incredibly limited.

Much of the public perception of behavior genetics presumes the field as a whole landed on the genetic determinism side of the “Nature versus Nurture” debate, and is now working toward a goal of designer babies. One reason for this misunderstanding may be the tendency of the field to focus on high-stakes outcomes (like cognitive ability and mental health) and methods that prioritize genetic information over rich measures of environments and experiences.

Reckoning with the role behavior genetics has played in racism, white supremacy, and eugenics is a substantial challenge. I am committed to actively promoting anti-racist principles throughout the field of behavior genetics.

I teach Psyc 408 Human Behavior Genetics (open to undergrads and grad students) in the Fall semester of even-numbered years.