How biology and experience shape the incredible diversity of human behavior
A behavior genetics and psychometrics research lab in the Department of Psychology at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

​We are interested in how genetic and environmental influences explain individual differences in human behavior. Our research focuses on (1) applying psychometric methods to refine genetic associations with broadly-defined phenotypes, (2) estimating how certain environments (such as stress) enhance or dampen genetic influences, and (3) developing and evaluating assessments of complex personal identities.

Amid concerns about the reproducibility and replicability of psychological research, we are committed to the thoughtful exploration of high quality (and high quantity) data. We love meta-analyses, large samples, and thorough assessments of person and place.

Jaime Lane Derringer

Assistant Professor, Psychology

Kenzhane Pantin

Doctoral student, Psychology

Ms. Pantin graduated cum laude from the University of Central Florida in 2017 with a B.S. in Psychology. She is primarily interested in the genetics of sexual behavior and sexuality. Her first-year project is entitled, "Sexual self concept: Higher-order structure and development of a short form".

Research
The EPIC Lab: Etiology of Personality and Individual Characteristics
Dr. Derringer is co-director of The EPIC Lab, a behavior genetics research group at UIUC Psychology. In the interest of cooperation and collaboration, the EPIC lab maintains a "notebook" of projects registered in osf.

​Simulating models of development under plausible gene-environment interplay
In collaboration with Dr. Daniel Briley and Dr. Jonathan Livengood, we are developing simulations to explore how various models of gene-environment correlation and interaction may unfold over time, leading to patterns similar to those observed in "real world" datasets. This project is a sub-award of the Genetics & Human Agency project funded by the Templeton Foundation.

iTwins: An Internet-based twin study
We are developing a web portal for a new, entirely Internet-based twin study. iTwins will focus on assessments that have been historically under-investigated in the behavior genetics literature, such as positive outcomes, responses to experimental paradigms, and geographic variation, as well as provide an interactive and engaging space for twins to learn about how their participation helps advance psychological science.

Training
Courses
Undergraduates and graduate students interested in working with Dr. Derringer are encouraged to take PSYC 408 Human Behavior Genetics, which is offered every Fall semester. The syllabus for Fall 2018 is available here.

Graduate Students
Dr. Derringer will be accepting one new doctoral student for Fall 2019. Psychology department application instructions are here. Dr. Derringer advises PhD students in the Social-Personality area within Psychology, and co-advises students in other Psychology areas and in the Illinois Informatics Institute. If you are interested in joining this lab, be sure to specify Dr. Derringer as a preferred faculty advisor on your application. Prior training in behavior genetics or psychometrics is not required. We are looking for candidates with research experience (in any field), enthusiasm for understanding individual differences, and self-motivated intellectual curiosity.

Undergraduate Students
​There are currently no undergraduate research positions available (Psyc 290 or Psyc 494).