Genetics of Vulnerability to Antisocial Behavior

描述（由申请人提供）：申请人正在申请一项指导科学家发展（K01）奖，以获得在测量和分析可能与反社会行为易感性相关的神经生理和神经心理特征方面的培训和经验。弗吉尼亚联邦大学多学科弗吉尼亚精神病学和行为遗传学研究所的Kenneth Kendler医学博士将是她的主要导师。南加州大学的劳拉·贝克博士是该提案的共同发起人，她将提供大部分的非现场训练，收集神经生理学和神经心理学的测量数据。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The candidate is applying for a mentored scientist development (K01) award to gain training and experience in the measurement and analysis of neurophysiological and neuropsychological traits that may be related to vulnerability to antisocial behavior. Kenneth Kendler, M.D., at the multidisciplinary Virginia Institute for Psychiatric and Behavioral Genetics at Virginia Commonwealth University, will be her primary mentor. Laura Baker, Ph.D., at the University of Southern California, is a co-sponsor of the proposal and will provide the majority of the off-site training in the collection of neurophysiological and neuropsychological measures. Research using twin and adoption studies has revealed the importance of both genetic and environmental factors in the development of antisocial behavior. To date, however, efforts to uncover the specific risk factors that are related to vulnerability to antisocial behavior using genetically informative data are rare. Using data from three extant twin studies, the candidate will explore the role of arousal, personality, executive functioning, and impulsivity in the development of antisocial behavior, paying particular attention to the impact of sex and age, the heterogeneity of antisocial behavior, and potential biological risk x environment interactions. She will also receive formal training in both theoretical and practical issues of using neurophysiological and neuropsychological traits as endophenotypes for antisocial behavior. The candidate will then apply this knowledge and experience to the pilot data collection of neurophysiological and neuropsychological traits and antisocial behavior from a sample of 25 adult, male-male sibling pairs, under the guidance of Scott Vrana, Ph.D., a co-sponsor of the application at Virginia Commonwealth University. Of particular interest is the feasibility of measuring neurophysiological and neuropsychological traits in non-laboratory settings. Ultimately, the candidate would like to apply the knowledge and experience gained from the mentored scientist award to a large-scale study of biological and environmental risk factors for the development of antisocial behavior among adult twin pairs.