Member Bulletin Board

Most Recent NIH Behavioral and Social Sciences Lecture

March 18, 2009 3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
"Risk, Resilience, and Gene x Environment Interactions in Primates"
Stephen J. Suomi, Ph.D., NICHD
Neuroscience Building, 6001 Executive Blvd., Rm. C Rockville, Md.

Sponsored by the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health

Abstract: Recent research with both humans and rhesus monkeys has provided compelling evidence of gene-environment (G x E) interactions throughout development. For example, a specific polymorphism of the serotonin transporter (5-HTT) gene is associated with deficits in infant neurobehavioral functioning, poor control of aggression and low serotonin metabolism during juvenile and adolescent development, and excessive alcohol consumption in early adulthood in monkeys reared with peers but not in monkeys reared by their mother. One interpretation of these findings is that secure attachment relationships somehow confer resiliency to individuals who carry alleles that may otherwise increase their risk for adverse developmental outcomes (“maternal buffering”). Similar patterns of apparent “buffering” have been demonstrated for G x E interactions involving several other genes with functionally equivalent polymorphisms in both humans and rhesus monkeys. Recent research has suggested that much of this “buffering” may be taking place in the context of early face-to-face interactions between rhesus monkey mothers and their infants. Moreover, the allelic variation seen in these genes in rhesus monkeys and humans but apparently not in other primate species may actually contribute to their remarkable adaptability and resilience at the species level.

About the Speaker: Stephen J. Suomi, Ph.D. is Chief of the Laboratory of Comparative Ethology at the National Institute of Child Health & Human Development (NICHD), National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. He also holds appointments as Research Professor at the University of Virginia (Psychology), the University of Maryland, College Park (Psychology), and The Johns Hopkins University (Mental Hygiene), and is an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University (Psychology), the Pennsylvania State University (Human Development) and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (Psychology). Dr. Suomi studied Psychology as an undergraduate at Stanford University, then continued his studies as a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, receiving his Ph.D. in Psychology in 1971. Dr. Suomi then joined the Psychology faculty at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he eventually attained the rank of Professor. In 1983 he left Wisconsin to join the NICHD, when he began his present position.

Dr. Suomi has received international recognition for his extensive research on biobehavioral development in rhesus monkeys and other primate species. His initial postdoctoral research successfully reversed the adverse effects of early social isolation, previous thought to be permanent, in rhesus monkeys. His subsequent research at Wisconsin led to his election as Fellow in the American Association for the Advancement of Science ‘for major contributions to the understanding of social factors that influence the psychological development of nonhuman primates.” Since joining the NICHD he has identified heritable and experiential factors that influence individual biobehavioral development, characterized both behavioral and physiological features of distinctive rhesus monkey phenotypes, and demonstrated the adaptive significance of these different phenotypes in naturalistic settings. His present research focuses on 3 general issues: the interaction between genetic and environmental factors in shaping individual developmental trajectories, the issue of continuity vs. change and the relative stability of individual differences throughout development, and the degree to which findings from monkeys studied in captivity generalize not only to monkeys living in the wild but also to humans living in different cultures.

Throughout his professional career Dr. Suomi has been the recipient of numerous awards and honors. To date, he has authored or co-authored over 350 articles published in scientific journals and chapters in edited volumes. He has also delivered over 350 invited colloquia, symposium and workshop presentations, and convention papers in 43 states in the U.S. and in 16 foreign countries.

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Registration Not Required The lecture is open to all NIH staff and the general public without prior registration. You must have a government-issued photo ID (e.g., NIH badge, driver's license) to enter the NIH campus. Parking for NIH staff and the general public is available at a modest fee. The nearest Metro Station is White Flint on the Red Line.