The genetics of what makes us who we are

Cancer cells are very different from bundles of behavior. In the NY Times headline article (May 2, 2013) describes the results from several recent studies of the genetic underpinnings of all sorts of ‘different’ types of cancer. The bottom line of the studies is that cancers attacking different organs such as breast, vs. colon, vs. ovaries can often share the same genetic profile, which suggests that it is the same cancer that can end up attacking different host organs. It seems that diagnoses of cancer will be made on the basis of a genetic profile rather than the organ system where the cancer is found. What has made the chase for the genetics of cancers realistic is that identifying a cancer cell from normal cells is relatively reliable.

It seems reasonable that many of our behavioral characteristics are not just a product of our experience but rather our genetic heritage, and its interaction with how we experience life. This is also likely to be the case for what we call resilience. The problem is that it is hard to find the genes associated with something that is very poorly defined. It is perhaps for that reason that it has been so discouraging to uncover genetic factors associated with neuropsychiatric disorder. The diagnostic categories are poorly defined and are changing all the time. We even have trouble categorizing what is a psychiatric disease. So, perhaps, if we take a more systematic, empirical, approach to what we think is resilience then we are in a position to understand the mind/brain/genetic basis of what is obviously a complex behavior. The complexity issue raises one more issue and that is that trying to study resilience is not going to work well but instead, for research purposes, we need to break down this complex behavior into some component parts (such as being able to delay gratification).