Animal Models of Behavior Genetics

Jonathan Gewirtz is Associate Professor in the Departments of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota, and Associate Chair of the Department of Psychology. His research uses rodent models to study the biology of negative affective states, including fear, anxiety and drug dependence. He also studies the cognitive and emotional consequences of developmental disorders. He gained his Ph.D. degree at Yale University in 1998. He has taught at the University of Minnesota since 2000, after a period as a post-doctoral fellow in Yale Medical School’s Division of Molecular Psychiatry. Yong-Kyu Kim is Senior Scientist in the Department of Biology at Emory University, and Associate Editor of Behavior Genetics. His research includes mating behavior, speciation, sexual selection, and epigenetics using Drosophila as a model system. He received his Ph.D. degree at the City University of New York in 1994 and trained as post-doctoral fellow at SUNY under Professor Lee Ehrman. He has taught several behavior genetics courses at the University of Georgia since 1998. He edited Handbook of Behavior Genetics (2009) and is a co-author of Behavior Genetics and Evolution (3rd ed).

Overview of animal models in behavior genetics.- Neurogenetic analysis of mental deficiency in mice.- Learning and memory in dogs.- Cognition in rodents.- Kin recognition behavior in beetles.- Circadian rhythms in Drosophila.- Offensive behavior in mice - QTLs in emotionality in rodents.- Sexuality in primates.- Animal models for cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia.-  Zebra fish model for endophenotype concepts.- Drosophila model for schizophrenia.- Critical reviews of animal models in behavior genetics.  ​