SUOMI EXPLORES THE INFLUENCES OF GENETICS AND THE ENVIRONMENT ON EARLY DEVELOPMENT

December 7, 2006

Speaker is the third in UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute's 2006-07 Distinguished Lecturer Series

(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — The UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute will host Stephen J. Suomi, chief of the Laboratory of Ethology at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Bethesda, Md., on Wednesday, December 13, at the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute, 2825 50th St., Sacramento.

Suomi will speak twice. During a 4 p.m. technical presentation, he will discuss compelling new evidence in studies of monkeys of gene-environment interactions throughout development. At a 6 p.m. community-interest lecture, he will review recent research demonstrating marked individual differences in behavioral patterns in monkeys and the effect of secure attachment relationships on these patterns. Both presentations are free and open to the public; no reservations are needed.

Suomi has received international recognition for his extensive research on biobehavioral development in rhesus monkeys and other primate species. His initial postdoctoral research showed how the effects of early social isolation, previously thought to be permanent, could be successfully reversed in rhesus monkeys. His subsequent research on social factors that influence the psychological development of nonhuman primates led to his election as a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Since joining the NICHD, he has identified heritable and experiential factors that influence individual biobehavioral development, characterized by both behavioral and physiological features of distinctive rhesus monkey phenotypes, and demonstrated the adaptive significance of these different phenotypes in naturalistic settings.

Suomi's present research focuses on interactions between genetic and environmental factors in shaping individual development trajectories, continuity versus change and the relative stability of individual differences throughout development, and the degree to which findings from monkeys studied in captivity can be generalized to monkeys living in the wild and to humans.

Suomi is the third of nine distinguished lecturers in the M.I.N.D. Institute's 2006-07 series. Upcoming speakers are Lawrence Scahill, Yale University (Jan. 10); Temple Grandin, Colorado State University (Feb. 14); Joseph Piven, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Mar. 14); Susan Bookheimer, UCLA (Apr. 11); Leonard Abbeduto, University of Wisconsin (May 9, visit co-sponsored by the UC Davis School of Education); and Tony Charman, University College London (June 13).

For more information about this and future lectures, visit the UC Davis M.I.N.D. Institute Web site at www.mindinstitute.org or call (916) 703-0280.

The UC Davis M.I.N.D. (Medical Investigation of Neurodevelopmental Disorders) Institute is a unique collaborative center for research into the causes and treatments of neurodevelopmental disorders, including autism, fragile X syndrome, Tourette syndrome and learning disabilities.