Michael C. Stallings

Michael C. Stallings is a Professor in the Department of Behavioral, Psychiatric, and Statistical Genetics at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics, part of the Psychology and Neuroscience school at the University of Colorado Boulder. His research focuses on behavioral genetics, substance abuse, psychopathology, and developmental psychology, with a particular emphasis on genetic and environmental influences on substance use disorders and comorbid conditions.

• Bachelor's Degree: University of Southern California (1993)

His research explores individual differences in liability to substance abuse and related psychopathology, utilizing twin studies, family research, and genomic structural equation modeling. Current projects include NIDA R01 DA053693 (2022-2027) and NIDA R01 DA035804 (2022-2027), both examining genetic and environmental risk factors in substance use progression.

Recent publications highlight his work on trivariate associations between risky sexual behavior, internalizing and externalizing problems, and genetic influences on loss-of-control eating and body mass index. His studies span journals like Behavior Genetics, Drug and Alcohol Dependence, and Lancet Psychiatry.

Dr. Stallings also contributes to diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics, co-authoring work on improving representation in genetic studies through transancestral research. He mentors graduate students and collaborates on international projects involving genome-wide association studies and neurogenetics.