Genes, Environment, and Human Behavior

This class will examine how genetic factors impact various dimensions of human behavior, ranging from cognitive abilities to psychiatric disorders. Topics to be covered include methods used to study the genetics of complex traits, how genetic predispositions interact with the environment, and ethical implications of behavioral genetics research. Modern methods for human genetics research, such as genome-wide association studies and polygenic risk scores, will be examined in detail. Emphasis will be placed on understanding core concepts (e.g. concepts of heritability, polygenicity, statistical power in genetic studies) as well as application (e.g. calculating heritability, interpreting results from published articles). Much of the course material will rely on primary research articles, and there will be a focus on biological and statistical concepts in the fields of behavioral and psychiatric genetics. PREREQ: Psych 100B.
Course Attributes: EN S; BU SCI; AS SSC; FA SSC; AR SSC

Genes, Environment, and Human Behavior

PSYCHOLOGICAL & BRAIN SCIENCES 345

Section 01