Announcements

A the next special issue in Behavior Genetics is entitled "The Role of Sex in Neurodevelopment".

We welcome papers on a wide array of relevant aspects, including human and animal studies, genetics/genomics, gene expression, proteomics, neuroscience, typical or atypical development, clinical translations, any phase of the lifespan, and any misconceptions regarding female and male neurodevelopment. Behavioral phenotypes of interest for humans include, but are not limited to, any type of communication (both spoken and written; any other forms), verbal and nonverbal cognition, interpersonal behaviors, and social and cultural aspects.

We thank all contributors and attendees of the BGA annual meeting held June 25-28 In Atlanta. Special highlights were a Festschrift in honour of Matt McGue, and a new Presidential Symposium based on the five best abstracts from student members. BGA thanks the local hosts Rohan Palmer and Irwin Waldman, and their team for organising this year’s meeting!

Congratulations to the Award winners!
Paul Lichtenstein: Dobzhansky Award
Sara Jaffee and Deborah Finkel: Editors’ Choice Award
Laurel Raffington: Early Career Award
Sophie Bell: Outstanding Associate Member Oral Presentation Award
Joana Amankwaa: Outstanding Associate Member Poster Presentation Award
Nikolina Nonkovic, Lanie Mullins, Kiana Jodeiry: Rising Star Award

Edit your abstract (Strict Deadline August 1st, 2025):
If you would like to edit your abstract before publication in Behavior Genetics in November of this year, please log in to the Oxford Abstract site: https://app.oxfordabstracts.com/stages/19066/submitter

We are currently conducting a study to gather insights into perspectives on genetic causation on the part of working professionals in genetics and its various subfields. We have already completed a successful pilot version of the survey with participants from the University of Utah, and we are now moving on to the second phase of the project, where we aim to expand the reach of our study to include geneticists from a wide range of organizations.

As part of this phase, we would greatly appreciate it if you could kindly ask your society’s membership to participate by filling out the survey. Your input would be incredibly valuable to the success of our research and will help us further develop our understanding of the topic.

The survey should take approximately 10-20 minutes, and all responses will be kept confidential. To access the survey, please click on the link below:

https://redcap.link/genetic_causation_survey

At BGA 2024 we memorialized the work and scientific life of Peter McGuffin, and his musical legacy. Please find here the link to recording of a memorial speech by Prof. Anita Thapar.

Submit a full paper reporting your research to Behavior Genetics. Manuscripts can be submitted to Behavior Genetics at: https://www.springer.com/journal/10519

The Executive Committee aims to construct a comprehensive list of behavior genetics training programs for 2023-224. Please add yours today!

The Department of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder invites applications for two tenure-track positions to begin Fall 2026. We seek faculty members with high level training, expertise, and teaching interest in undergraduate research methods and/or statistics courses as well as a proven track record of or high potential for the inclusion of undergraduate research assistants in their work.

The Institute for Behavioral Genetics, University of Colorado Boulder, invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professorship with an academic appointment in one of the following departments: "Psychology and Neuroscience" and "Integrative Physiology".

The Institute seeks to build on its strength in neurodegeneration and behavioral genetics research. Successful candidates must have a robust background and at least 36 months of direct, postdoctoral working experience with iPSC-derived neural cells and/or neural organoids. Experience with high-content genomics, other omics approaches such as spatial transcriptomics, and/or neurogenetics is preferred. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in neurodegeneration research using patient-derived iPSC lines and single-cell genomics. Applicants working entirely with animal models will not be considered.

Post-doctoral training opportunities are available through an NIH-funded T32 training grant administered through the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). Several investigators may serve as possible mentors for an outstanding candidate who wishes to further their training in behavior genetics. Projects include large human genetics studies, molecular genetics, and mouse behavioral studies aimed understanding genes related to substance use disorders.

We are looking for talented junior scientists to join our International Max Planck Research School for Language Sciences in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. Two fully-funded 4-year PhD fellowships (2024-2028) are available to carry out cutting-edge research on genetics and development of human language, with several innovative projects to choose from, co-supervised by leading researchers at the Max Planck Institute and our partners at the Radboud University. Projects include investigating rare DNA variants in genes that cause developmental speech/language disorders, and neuroimaging genomic analyses of language circuits in the brain. Application portal opens Dec 4th 2023 and closes Jan 8th 2024. Full information and FAQ can be found here: https://www.mpi.nl/imprs-phd-fellowships-2024

The Max Planck Research Group Biosocial at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin seeks applicants for 1 Postdoctoral Position (m/f/d) on Developmental Sociogenomics (E 13 TVöD 100%).

The conference brings together scientists who are working with TwinLife data or are interested in doing so. We aim to encourage exchange of ideas and discussions on research questions and/or findings, and thus to strengthen and initiate collaborations. You are welcome to present new research ideas, methods, or findings. You can also join the conference without a contribution. There will be plenty of space for discussion and exchange on research topics and methods. You do not have to be a current TwinLife data user to participate!

In recent years, the availability of large-scale genomic data has started to revolutionize our understanding of mental disorders at the genetic level, yet is largely theory-neutral, not explaining why risk alleles persist and mental disorders are so common. Conversely, evolutionary psychiatry and psychopathology offer a rich variety of theoretical models and hypotheses to explain mental disorders at the evolutionary level, but have yet to fully take on board the findings of recent genetics. This disconnection is reinforced by the lack of shared conferences and other spaces for dialogue. And yet, the potential for synergy and cross-fertilization is striking; it is time to break down the existing disciplinary barriers and make decisive steps toward an integrative biology of mental disorders. This workshop will bring together emerging and established investigators working on all aspects of evolutionary psychiatry/psychopathology and the evolutionary genetics/genomics of mental disorders.