I just had a fascinating interview with Dr. Robert Hintzmann a behavioral geneticist up at OHSU. I thought GNXPers would be interested in his research and a few insights he gave. I would also appreciate any advice on whether this would be a good lab and anything I could do to increase my chances of landing the position (he did say I could email him questions) Now, onto research from his website;

The goal of our research is to understand how genes regulate complex behaviors, particularly complex drug-induced behaviors. The behaviors of interest include the stimulant response to ethanol, haloperidol-induced catalepsy, exploratory behavior, acoustic startle and prepulse inhibition. The genetic dimensions of these behaviors can be studied in laboratory animals (generally mice) using classical genetic techniques such as selective breeding and recombinant inbred strategies. Molecular genetic strategies can then be used to map the relevant gene loci and eventually isolate the relevant genes. Recent studies have shown that a single base pair substitution in Cas1is associated with marked differences in ethanol response. Cas1 is the gene that codes for catalase, an enzyme responsible, in part, for brain ethanol metabolism

He also gave the insight that "if you live long enough everyone gets Parkinsons disease"