Behavior Genetics Unit
(led by A/Prof. Dr. Miriam Mosing)
In the Behavior Genetics unit, we are curious to understand the interplay between environmental exposures and genetic predispositions that underlie individual differences among humans, and to address the underlying etiology of associations we observe in everyday life.
Our research focuses on (but is not limited to) traits related to cultural and social engagement, creativity, skill learning and (mental) health and their relationships. We use state-of-the-art research designs and genetically informative data to estimate the importance of genetic and environmental factors and their interactions, to control for familial confounding, and to answer central questions of causality.
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While we regularly collect and use data from the Swedish Twin Registry, one of the largest twin registries in the world, we also use other international twin cohorts and large genotyped population samples (e.g., the UK Biobank) and are actively involved in building up the first German Twin Registry (GerTRuD). The methods we apply include twin- and family designs, genome-wide association studies, Mendelian randomization, survival modeling, and polygenic score approach, to just name a few.
We believe that understanding how genetic predispositions interact with environmental factors will reveal the nature of phenotypic associations observed in everyday life, which will not only allow us to identify truly causal and modifiable risk/protective factors (relevant environments), but may ultimately also help us to identify those individuals who are at greatest risk or may benefit most from interventions.
Current research areas
Gene-environmental Interplay for Musical Expertise
Music Engagement and Mental Health
Genetic Markers Underlying Expert Musicality
Cultural Engagement, Creativity and Mental Health
Research Methodology
Twin and Family-Based Designs
Twin Studies, Co-Twin Control Design, Extended Family Designs, Family-Based Association Studies, Heritability Analysis, Linkage Analysis
Genome-Wide Association and Genetic Correlations
Genome-Wide Association Studies (GWAS), Genetic Overlap and Correlations
Polygenic Risk Scores and Genetic Prediction
Polygenic Risk Scores (PRSs), Polygenic Score Mapping, Genetic Risk Prediction
Causal Inference and Longitudinal Models
Mendelian Randomization, Survival Analysis, Cox Proportional Hazards Model
Latest Publications
Christensen, J. F., Wesseldijk, L. W., Mosing, M. A., & Ullén, F. (2026). Mental health in recreational and professional dancers: A genetically informed study in Sweden. SSM - Population Health,33: 101894. doi:10.1016/j.ssmph.2025.101894.
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Yeom, D., Stead, K. S., Tan, Y. T., McPherson, G. E., Mosing, M. A., & Wilson, S. J. (2026). Genetic and environmental influences on singing self-evaluation and its relationship with singing ability: An Australian twin study. Behavior Genetics. doi:10.1007/s10519-026-10254-4.
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Perizonius, S., Wesseldijk, L. W., Ullén, F., & Mosing, M. A. (2026). How positive beliefs about the world relate to well-being and social connections - A genetically informative approach. European Journal of Personality. doi:10.1177/08902070261423583.
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Finkel, D., Finch, B. K., Gatz, M., Christensen, K., Franz, C. E., Karlsson, I. K., Kremen, W. S., Krueger, R. F., Lupton, M., Martin, N., McGue, M., Mosing, M. A., Neiderhiser, J., Nygaard, M., Prom-Worley, E., Reynolds, C., Sachdev, P., Sillanpää, E., Vuoksimaa, E., Whitfield, K. E., Hayden, O., Walters, E., Pedersen, N. L., & for the IGEMS consortium (2025). The interplay of genes and environment across multiple studies (IGEMS) consortium after fifteen years (first view). Twin Research and Human Genetics. doi:10.1017/thg.2025.10036.
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Nygaard, M., Mosing, M. A., Finkel, D. G., Franz, C. E., Kremen, W. S., Martin, N. G., Plassman, B. L., Reynolds, C. A., Sachdev, P. S., Thalamuthu, A., Walters, E. E., Christensen, K., Pedersen, N. L., Gatz, M., McGue, M., & IGEMS consortium (2025). Leisure activity engagement and depressive symptoms: Meta-analysis of 11 studies of middle-aged and older twins aged 32-99. The journals of gerontology, glaf253. doi:10.1093/gerona/glaf253.
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Finch, B. K., Finkel, D., Gatz, M., Pedersen, N. L., Reynolds, C. A., Sachdev, P., Selwood, A., Martin, N., & Mosing, M. A. (2025). Self-rated health and mortality: family background and genetic precursors. Discover Social Science and Health,5: 139. doi:10.1007/s44155-025-00290-6.
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Nayak, S., Ladanyi, E., Eising, E., Mekki, Y., Nitin, R., Bush, C. T., Gustavson, D. E., Anglada-Tort, M., Lancaster, H. S., Mosing, M. A., Ullén, F., Magne, C. L., Fisher, S. E., Jacoby, N., & Gordon, R. L. (2025). Musical rhythm abilities and risk for developmental speech-language problems and disorders: Epidemiological and polygenic associations. Nature Communications,16: 8355. doi:10.1038/s41467-025-60867-2.
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Contact
Team
Alumni
Anastasiia Bratchenko
Master Student, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Iorana Fey
Master Student, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam