Implications of the genomic revolution for education research and policyISER External Seminars

Research at the intersection of social science and genomics, ‘sociogenomics’, is transforming our understanding of the interplay between genomics, individual outcomes and society. It has interesting and maybe unexpected implications for education research and policy. Here we review the growing sociogenomics literature and discuss its implications for educational researchers and policymakers. We cover key concepts and methods in genomic research into educational outcomes, how genomic data can be used to investigate social or environmental effects, the methodological strengths and limitations of genomic data relative to other observational social data, the role of intergenerational transmission and potential policy implications. The increasing availability of genomic data in studies can produce a wealth of new evidence for education research. This may provide opportunities for disentangling the environmental and genomic factors that influence educational outcomes and identifying potential mechanisms for intervention.

Neil Davies is a researcher at the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit. He has a background in economics and econometrics, and a PhD in pharmacoepidemiology. His recent research has combined econometrics and genetic epidemiology to provide new insights into the relationship between educational attainment and health outcomes. His research uses genetics to understand modifiable risk factors for outcomes, using an approach known as Mendelian randomization.

Presented by:

Dr Neil Davies (University of Bristol)

Date & time:

June 15, 2022 11:30 am - June 15, 2022 12:30 pm

Venue:

Hybrid event: room CTC 3.01 [near North Towers, opposite NTC - NOT in ISER/SSRC!] & remotely via Zoom - contact the series organisers (at iserseminars@essex.ac.uk) if you do not have the link.


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