Welcome to the 2008 AGA Symposium
President's Welcome
Behavioral adaptations to environmental conditions serve as a vehicle for evolution. From a neuroscience perspective, behaviors represent the ultimate expression of the nervous system. From a genetics perspective, behaviors are complex traits expected to show strong phenotypic plasticity and genotype by environment interactions. Once thought an intractable problem, advances in genomic, molecular genetic and neurogenetic technologies now enable multidisciplinary approaches to identify the genetic underpinnings that mediate behaviors and their dependence on gene-gene and gene-environment interactions. The goal of the meeting is to explore and define the emerging field of behavioral genetics and genomics. The 2008 AGA symposium will feature 18 distinguished speakers, who will provide a kaleidoscope of recent discoveries with different organisms, encompassing both laboratory and field studies, and ranging from mechanistic neurogenetic principles through analyses of genetic architecture and evolution of behavior. Behaviors that are important for human health and disease will also be covered. Talks by invited speakers include three special keynote lectures. There will be poster sessions and invited short talks selected from submitted abstracts. Travel fellowships for students and postdoctoral fellows will be made available on a competitive basis to defray the costs for airfare and hotel accommodations. We are looking forward to welcoming you to the 2008 AGA symposium.
Conference organized by Trudy Mackay and Robert Anholt.