معرفی
Daniel Gustavson is an Assistant Research Professor at the Institute for Behavioral Genetics at the University of Colorado Boulder, with additional affiliations in Genetic Medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. His research program examines the genetic underpinnings of executive functions, mental health, procrastination, and musical ability, utilizing sophisticated twin studies and genomic approaches.
His primary research interests include:
- Genetic architecture of executive functions and self-regulation
- Relationship between procrastination and internalizing/externalizing psychopathology
- Music engagement as a protective factor against substance use
- Genetic influences on cognitive aging and decline
- Genomic structural equation modeling of psychological constructs
Gustavson's recent publications demonstrate expertise in integrating multiple methodologies to examine how genetic and environmental factors interact to shape cognitive abilities and mental health outcomes across the lifespan. His work frequently examines the relationships between executive functions, impulsivity, and various forms of psychopathology, revealing both shared and distinct genetic influences.
As a principal investigator, he currently leads a NIDA R01 examining whether music engagement serves as a protective factor against adolescent substance use, and serves as PI of a subaward examining implications of midlife alcohol use for dementia risk in twins. He is also a Co-Investigator on major projects investigating gene-environment interplay for Alzheimer's Disease Related Dementias and the effects of cannabis legalization on twin cohorts.
His methodological expertise spans behavioral genetics, twin studies, genomic analyses, longitudinal research designs, and neuropsychological assessment, with publications appearing in top journals including Nature Human Behaviour, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Journal of Experimental Psychology: General, and JAMA Psychiatry.
