Nature, nurture, or both? How biology and experience impact mental health

The ANU Research School of Psychology Annual Lecture is a highlight of our year, showcasing significant impact of Psychology on community and social issues.

Join Distinguished Professor Bob Krueger to hear him speak about 'Nature, nurture, or both? A fresh look at how biology and experience combine to impact mental health.' Professor Krueger is a renowned scientist and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Minnesota.

Research.com ranks him in the top 100 most impactful psychologists in the world. At this one-night only event, join us in hearing this influential scientist unpack and update some of the great debates regarding mental health.

Abstract: Historically, there has been extensive debate about whether mental health is more attributable to aspects of a person, such as their genetics, or aspects of one’s experience, such as their rearing environment. With accumulating evidence, this “nature vs. nurture” dichotomy is rapidly giving way to a more integrated perspective that can help articulate how specific genetic factors and specific environmental experiences correlate and interact.

This presentation will document the science of how nature promotes mental health via nurture. It will focus on contemporary insights about how nature and nurture can be brought together to improve mental health throughout the population.

Please join us from 5:00pm to 5:45pm for a poster session/canapes/drinks, with the public lecture to start at 6:00pm to 7:00pm.

Biography:

Professor Krueger completed his undergraduate and graduate work at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and his clinical internship at Brown University. His major interests lie at the intersection of research on psychopathology, personality, behaviour genetics, health, and aging. He has received several major awards, including the University of Minnesota McKnight Land-Grant Professorship, the American Psychological Association’s Award for Early Career Contributions, the Award for Early Career Contributions from the International Society for the Study of Individual Differences, an American Psychological Foundation Theodore Millon Mid-Career Award, and the Hoch Award from the American Psychopathological Association (APPA). He has been named a Clarivate Analytics Highly Cited Researcher. He is also editor of the Journal of Personality Disorders and served as the Chair of the U.S. NIH/CSR Social, Personality and Interpersonal Processes (SPIP) Grant Review Study Section.