Special Issue Links Genetics and Environment in Aging Studies

A recently released special issue of The Journals of Gerontology: Psychological and Social Sciences asserts that social environments can have a greater effect on genetics than was previously thought. The volume, titled "Research on Environmental Effects in Genetic Studies of Aging," features articles devoted to integrating genetics and genomics with behavioral and social science research on aging.

The issue was guest edited by James F. Crow of the Laboratory of Genetics at the University of Wisconsin, Madison and Thomas E. Johnson of the Institute for Behavioral Genetics and Department of Integrative Physiology at the University of Colorado at Boulder. Jennifer R. Harris of the National Institute on Aging and the Norwegian Institute of Public Health provides an introduction. The table of contents is as follows:

Introduction
Jennifer R. Harris

Comments
James F. Crow and Thomas E. Johnson

Social Environments and the Genetics of Aging: Advancing Knowledge of Protective Health Mechanisms
Carol D. Ryff and Burton H. Singer

Cognitive Change in Aging: Identifying Gene-Environment Correlation and Nonshared Environment Mechanisms
Kirby Deater-Deckard and Ulrich Mayr

Mammary Cancer and Social Interactions: Identifying Multiple Environments That Regulate Gene Expression Throughout the Lifespan
Martha K. McClintock, Suzanne D. Conzen, Sarah Gehlert, Christopher Masi, and Funmi Olopade

Predictors of Physical Health: Toward an Integrated Model of Genetic and Environmental Antecedents
Wendy Johnson and Robert F. Krueger

The Inherent Complexities of Gene-Environment Interactions
Elena L. Grigorenko

Social Context in Gene-Environment Interactions: Retrospect and Prospect
Michael J. Shanahan and Scott M. Hofer

Excerpts From a Current NIA Program Announcement: PA Number PAS-03-128, "Genetics, Behavior and Aging"

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The Journals of Gerontology: Psychological and Social Sciences is a refereed publication of The Gerontological Society of America, the oldest and largest national multidisciplinary scientific organization devoted to the advancement of gerontological research. Founded in 1945, its membership includes some 5,000+ researchers, educators, practitioners, and other professionals in the field of aging. The Society's principal missions are to promote research and education in aging and to encourage the dissemination of research results to other scientists, decision makers, and practitioners.