[BGES Roster]

The Behavioral Genetics and Epidemiology [BGES] Study Section reviews applications for multi-level, multi-contextual studies, behavioral genetics and heritability studies, and behavioral epidemiologic studies which seek an understanding of the origins, multiple etiologies, natural histories, and consequences of a wide range of behaviors, disorders, diseases, normal functioning, and public health concerns. Applications may include qualitative and quantitative methods and may integrate multiple factors and multiple levels of analysis from the biological to social and cultural levels. Studies may use multidisciplinary perspectives and focus on interactions among individual, family, group, and community factors in either the general population or defined subpopulations with special needs such as the very young, the elderly, minority groups, and those at risk for drug and alcohol abuse and transmission of HIV, TB, HBV, and HCV. Studies may include factors which influence temporal trends, such as economic conditions and beliefs of historic cohorts, and may address the etiologies and consequences of behaviors, physical, mental, and substance abuse problems and the aging process as they vary across individuals, families, generation, age, sex, and populations with different predisposing or protective factors and co-morbid conditions.

Specific areas covered by BGES:

• Multi-level, multi-contextual studies, including studies of development, health, risk, resilience, disease, and risky behaviors embedded within the context of biological, psychological, social, environmental, and cultural factors. This includes, but is not limited to, studies of interactive effects of risk and protective factors within the individual, family, neighborhood, and environment on physical, psychiatric and/or substance use disorders, recovery, and/or sustained health. Studies may focus simultaneously on multiple levels, pathways, and causes of normal and problem behaviors. Studies may examine the cumulative impact of multiple interacting factors affecting different stages of human development, clinical course, or range of outcomes to identify factors that appear to exert influence and to examine direct and mediating factors. Studies may focus on aspects of normal development and competencies; effects of technological change on health and human functioning; precocious and delayed development as functions of biologic, environmental and experiential factors; and emerging issues.
  
  
• Behavioral genetic studies, including studies of the heritability, familial/kinship, parental, social, and environmental influences on the phenotypic expression of genotypes. Studies include population-based or clinically-ascertained family, twin, and adoption studies that incorporate environmental risk factor identification and measurement.
  
  
• Behavioral epidemiology, including descriptive, analytic, and genetic epidemiology in both general and specific population groups and international cross-cultural studies. Surveys, surveillance, and related behavioral and social studies are included that are informative of trends and emerging health-related problems and issues.
  
  
• Natural catastrophes and traumatic events, including studies of individual, familial, group, and community factors and dynamics that may predispose and/or result from natural catastrophes and traumatic events affecting a population or region [e.g., fire, hurricane, terrorism, violence, and crime]. Studies may nest in-depth studies of individuals, community characteristics, expectations, trauma from prior experience, decision-making, group process, short and long term consequences and develop theoretical models of the impact of such events.

BGES has the following shared interests within the HOP IRG:

• With Biostatistical Methods and Research Design [BMRD]: BMRD also reviews applications that focus on high-risk behavior, that are multi-level, or that emphasize the relationships between socioenvironmental factors and health-related behavior. Applications in which the primary emphasis is upon the development of new statistical methodology or the improvement of existing research designs may be reviewed by BMRD.
  
  
• With Community Influences on Health Behavior [CIHB] and Community-Level Health Promotion [CLHP]: CLHP and CIHB also review applications that focus upon high-risk behavior. Applications that rely primarily upon genetic factors or emphasize use of epidemiological methods may be reviewed in BGES.
  
  
• With Cardiovascular and Sleep Epidemiology [CASE]; Epidemiology of Cancer [EPIC]; Infectious Diseases, Reproductive Health, Asthma and Pulmonary Conditions [IRAP[; Kidney, Nutrition, Obesity and Diabetes [KNOD]; and Neurological, Aging and Musculoskeletal Epidemiology [NAME]: These study sections also review applications that include behavioral risk factors. Applications that are primarily behavioral may be reviewed in BGES, while applications that are primarily biomedical may be assigned to CASE, EPIC, IRAP, KNOD or NAME, depending upon the substantive focus of the application and the condition(s) being studied.
  
  
• With Nursing Science: Adults and Aging [NSAA] and Nursing Science: Children and Families [NSCF]: NSAA and NSCF also review applications that focus on high-risk behavior, that are multi-level, or that emphasize the relationships between socioenvironmental factors and health-related behavior. Applications in which the primary emphasis is upon nursing care and research relating to nursing interventions in patient care may be reviewed by NSAA or NSCF, depending upon the age groups being studied.
  
  
• With Social Sciences and Population Studies [SSPS]: SSPS also reviews applications that focus upon high-risk behavior, that are multi-level, or that emphasize the relationships between socioenvironmental factors and health-related behavior. Applications that emphasize determination of health status at the community level or that emphasize behavior related to family structure, human reproduction, or population mobility may be reviewed in SSPS.

BGES has the following shared interests outside the HOP IRG:

• With the Genes, Genomes and Genetics [GGG] IRG:  Applications that focus on the genetic etiology of a disease could be reviewed by the GGG IRG. Applications with a primary focus on genetics as a risk factor in an epidemiologic study could be reviewed by BGES.
  
  
• With the Bioengineering Sciences and Technologies [BST] IRG: Grant applications focused on behavioral genetics may be reviewed in BGES. Grant applications focused on the design, development, and introduction of technology in support of genetic systems may be reviewed in BST.
  
  
• With the Risk, Prevention and Health Behavior [RPHB] IRG: Studies of personality, motivation, social roles, interpersonal processes and social cognitive processes may be assigned to the RPHB IRG. If such studies are nested within multi-level, multi-contextual studies dealing with interrelationships among individual, familial [biologic, genetic and/or environmental factors], social, and cultural factors and behaviors, disorders, and diseases, they may be assigned to BGES. Studies of interventions to treat or manage disabling physical or cognitive impairment, studies closely related to intervention development, and studies of factors that influence persons to seek health care may be assigned to RPHB. Studies that are not closely related to interventions and that focus on the interaction of biobehavioral and socio-environmental factors with regard to the etiology, course, prevalence, and consequences of other behaviors, health disorders, and diseases may be assigned to BGES. Epidemiological studies of risk and protective factors may be assigned to BGES.
  
  
• With the Biobehavioral and Behavioral Processes [BBBP] IRG:  Studies of child and adult disorders generally may be assigned to the BBBP IRG. However, applications with studies nested within multi-level, multi-contextual studies focusing on the interrelationships among individual, familial [biologic, genetic and/or environmental factors], social, and cultural factors and behaviors in the etiology, natural history, and consequences of disorders and diseases may be assigned to BGES. Epidemiological studies of risk and protective factors may be assigned to BGES.
  
  
• Study Sections in NIAAA, NIDA and NIMH may review applications in treatment and health services research. For more information, see the Institute's respective Web sites.