1. Interplay of Genes and Environment Across the Lifespan: Genotype x Environment Interaction Jenae M. Neiderhiser, Ph.D. Center for Family Research Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences George Washington University cfrjmn@gwumc.edu

2. 3 integrated studies focused on the interplay between genes & environment 1.Nonshared Environment in Adolescent Development (NEAD) Longitudinal – from middle adolescence to young adulthood siblings/twins and parents Detailed assessment of family relationships, peers and adolescent adjustment DNA collection 2.Twin/Offspring Study in Sweden (TOSS) Parents who are twins and adolescent child + spouse Detailed assessment of family relationships & adjustment of all family members DNA collection 3.Early Growth and Development Study (EGDS) Longitudinal – prenatal through 7.5 years for children Adoption design – follow birth parents, adopted child & adoptive parents Detailed assessment of family relationships, adjustment of adopted children, adjustment/psychopathology in birth parents, prenatal environment DNA collection

3. NEAD and TOSS Designs Spouse 2 Twin Parent 1 NEAD Twin Parent 2 Spouse 1 Child of Twin 1 Child of Twin 2 Child 1 Child 2 TOSS Mom Dad 1.0=MZ twins;.50=DZ twins & full siblings;.25=half siblings; 0=step siblings 1.0=MZ twin parents;.50=DZ twin parents.25=children of MZ twin parents;.125=children of DZ twin parents

4. Parenting as a moderator of G &E on adolescent antisocial behavior From Feinberg et al. (in press). Archives of General Psychiatry. As parental negativity increases, variance due to A, C & E also increase At lower levels of warmth, variance due to A is higher At higher levels of warmth, variance due to C is higher Consistency across parental negativity & positivity for adolescent antisocial behavior As parent-child relationship worsens, genetic influences on ASB increase Shared environmental influences deviate somewhat – but effects are more modest Which came first? High conflict/low warmth or antisocial behavior? Does an antisocial child elicit more negativity & less warmth for genetic reasons? Do high levels of negativity & low levels of warmth “trigger” genetic tendencies towards ASB?

5. Does marital conflict moderate G & E on negative parenting? Marital Conflict About Child Mothering Fathering Interpretation At low levels of conflict more variance in mother’s negativity is due to shared environmental influences At low levels of conflict more variance in father’s negativity due to genetic & shared env influences As conflict increases, nonshared environmental influences also increase

6. 559 domestic adoption placements to non-relative families (359 in EGDS-Toddler and 200 in EGDS- Prenatal) Yoked Adoption Unit: Birth mother/birth father, adoptive mother/father, & adopted child Adoption occurred within 3 mo. post-partum Infant free of major medical problems 3 major assessments for birth parents and 6 major assessments for adoptive families spanning infancy through 1st grade (EGDS-School) Multimethod, multiagent approach EGDS study design AC BM BF AM AF

7. Toddlers’ (18 mo) response to parenting in the presence and absence of adoptive family distress as a function of genetic risk (via BP) Adoptive family distress ABSENT Adoptive family distress PRESENT Children in distressed families have increased sensitivity in toddlerhood Toddler’s are MORE SENSITIVE to parents’ instructions and respond MORE NEGATIVELY only when BOTH genetic risk and environmental stress are present

8. Understanding Mechanisms In EGDS we are beginning to see the mechanisms of GxE and rGE develop from 9- months to 18-months In NEAD we have evidence that parenting is an important modifier of G and E In NEAD we also have evidence that G and E on parenting is modified by marriage In TOSS & NEAD we have evidence that relationships mediate the genetic influences on adjustment In TOSS we are beginning to disentangle types of rGE

9. Thanks to the research teams that make this work possible NEAD David Reiss (GWU) Robert Plomin (IoP) E. Mavis Hetherington (UVA) Mark Feinberg (PSU) Erica Spotts (NIA) Dean Hamer (NCI) Jody Ganiban (GWU) Rich Rende (Brown) Sam Simmens (GWU) George Howe (GWU) R01s MH43373, MH48825, & MH59014 & the William T. Grant Foundation TOSS Paul Lichtenstein (KI) David Reiss (GWU) Nancy Pedersen (KI) Jody Ganiban (GWU) Erica Spotts (NIA) Suzanne Haddad (GWU) Jurgita Naruyste (KI) Jennifer Ulbricht (GWU) Lennart Martinnson (KI) Elias Ericksson (Göteborgs Universitet) R01MH54601 & Riksbankens Jubieleumsfond (DNA collection & genotyping) EGDS David Reiss (GWU) Leslie Leve (OSLC) Xiajioa Ge (UMN) John Reid (OSLC) Danny Shaw (U Pitt) Laura Scaramella (UNO) Linda Mayes (Yale) Phil Fisher (OSLC) Rand Conger (UC Davis) EGDS & EGDS II: R01HD042608 (co- funding by NIDA) EGDS-Prenatal: R01DA020585 (co- funding by OBSSR, NIMH, NICHD)