Curriculum Vitae

View or download CV in PDF format.

Research Interests

My overall research interests are in how environmental, social, genetic, and biological factors interact in the development of antisocial behavior. My behavioral genetic work has primarily been focused on: 1) the importance of genes and environments on individual differences over the life course; 2) whether there is genetic heterogeneity of antisocial behavior; and 3) in gene X environment interactions. Newer research interests concern the underlying neurobiology of aggression and antisocial behavior, and the capacity of environmental experiences to alter biological and genetic effects. I am highly interested in applying ecological models of development to biological and genetic studies.

In 2007 I received an NIH Director's New Innovator Award for my study "From Neighborhoods to Neurons and Beyond: A Study of Adolescent Development." The goal of this study is to collect self-report data on environmental factors at multiple levels of influence, including neighborhood and community effects, school effects, and parent and peer effects in a large sample of 6th - 8th graders in the Chicago area, and to combine these data with psychosocial, biological, neurobiological, and genetic measures. This study will help us to determine: 1) how environmental experiences, particularly stress, get "inside the skin" to affect biological and genetic processes; and 2) whether the importance of psychosocial, biological, and genetic factors varies across environmental context.

Along with Dr. Emil Coccaro, I also oversee the University of Chicago Twins Program. Recently we have completed a study of aggression that collected self-report, clinical, and lab-based data from 200-1,200 twin pairs from the PennTwins Cohort. We are now collecting functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) data on aggression, also using twins from the PennTwins Cohort. I have a data analysis subcontract from Dr. Laura Baker at USC for her longitudinal study of genetic and environmental influences on individual differences in antisocial behavior in twins. Data collection began when twins were 9-10 years old. Twins are now aged 14-15 in the 3rd wave of data collection, and the 4th wave is just beginning. I also collaborate with investigators at UCSD and Boston University on a longitudinal twin study of cognition, health, and aging in middle adulthood using twins from the Vietnam Era Twin Registry.

Prior research programs include a Mentored Scientist Career Development Award from NIMH to investigate potential biological endophenotypes for antisocial behavior, studies of antisocial behavior and substance use in adult twins in the Mid-Atlantic Twin Registry (with Ken Kendler), and studies of genetic and environmental influence on adolescent development using the twin/sibling sample of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (with David Rowe). Please see below for current and past research projects.

Positions In My Lab

If you are interested in working in my lab as a Research Assistant, graduate student, or PostDoctoral Scholar, please contact me by e-mail to find out if there are any current openings. kjacobso@bsd.uchicago.edu

Funded Research Projects

Current Projects:

From Neighborhoods to Neurons and Beyond
Principal Investigator, 2007-2012
NIH 1 DP2 OD003021

Understanding the Pathways to Aggression
Co-Investigator (E. Coccaro, PI), 2008-2013
NIH/NIMH 1R01 MH080109-01

Development of Conduct Problems: Genetic and Environmental Interface
Principal Investigator of data analysis subcontract (L. Baker, PI), 2006-2010
NIH/NIMH 5 R01 MH058354

VETSA 2: A Longitudinal Twin Study of Cognition and Aging
Principal Investigator of data analysis subcontract (W. Kremen, PI), 2008-2013
NIH/NIA 5 R01 AG018386-06A2

The VETSA Longitudinal Twin Study of Cortisol and Aging
Principal Investigator of data analysis subcontract (W. Kremen, PI), 2004-2009
NIH/NIA 5 R01 AG022982

Prior Projects as Principal or Co-Principal Investigator:

Genetics of Vulnerability to Antisocial Behavior
Principal Investigator, 2003-2007
NIH/NIMH 5 K01 MH068484

Understanding Influences on Comorbidity between Antisocial Behavior and Major Depressive Disorder
Principal Investigator, 2002-2006
NARSAD Young Investigators Award

A Pilot Study of Genetic and Environmental Influences on Amygdala and Dorsal Anterior Cingulate Cortex Activation: A Twin Study of fMRI
Principal Investigator, 2007-2008
Brain Research Foundation Seed Grant

Competitive Renewal for a Twin-Family Study of Drug Use, Abuse, and Dependence
Co-Principal Investigator (K. Kendler, PI), 2005-2008
NIH/NIDA 5 R01 DA011287-03

Selected Publications

Jacobson, K.C., Beseler, C.L., Su, J., Faraone, S.V., Glatt, S.J., Kremen, W.S., Lyons, M.J., & Tsuang, M.T. (2008). Ordered subsets linkage analysis of antisocial behavior in substance use disorder among participants in the Collaborative Study on the Genetics of Alcoholism. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B: Neuropsychiatric Genetics, 147B, 1258-1269. [PDF]

Kendler, K.S., Jacobson, K.C., Myers, J.M., & Eaves, L.J. (2008). A genetically informative developmental study of the relationship between conduct disorder and peer deviance in males. Psychological Medicine, 7, 1001-1011. [PDF]

Baker, L.A., Jacobson, K.C., Raine, A., Lozano, D.I., & Bezdjian, S.J. (2007). Genetic and environmental bases of childhood antisocial behavior: A multi-trait multi-method twin study. Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 116, 219-235. [PDF]

Gillespie, N.G., Kendler, K.S., Prescott, C.A., Aggen, S.H., Gardner, C.O., Jacobson, K.C., & Neale, M.C. (2007). Longitudinal modeling of genetic and environmental influences on self-reported availability of psychoactive substances: alcohol, cigarettes, marijuana, cocaine and stimulants. Psychological Medicine, 37, 947-959. [PDF]

Kendler, K.S., Jacobson, K.C., Gardner, C.O., Gillespie, N.G., Aggen, S.A., & Prescott, C.A. (2007). Creating a social world: A developmental twin study of peer group deviance. Archives of General Psychiatry, 64, 958-965. [PDF]

Kremen, W.S., Jacobson, K.C., Lyons, M.J., Xian, H., Eisen, S.A., Eaves, L.J., & Tsuang, M.T. (2007). Genetics of verbal working memory processes: A twin study of middle-aged men. Neuropsychology, 21, 561-580. [PDF]

Coccaro, E.F., & Jacobson, K.C. (2006). PennTwins: A population based cohort for twin studies. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 9, 998-1005. [PDF]

Neale, M.C., Jacobson, K.C., & Roysamb, E. (2006). Multivariate genetic analysis of sex-limitation in human populations. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 9, 481-489. [PDF]

Jacobson, K.C. (2005). The genetic basis of substance use and abuse. In R. Stohler & W. Rossler (Eds.) Bibliotheca Psychiatrica, Vol. No. 171, Special Issue: Dual Diagnosis (pp.15-30). Basel, Switzerland: Karger Publications. [PDF]

Jacobson, K.C. (2005). Genetic influence on the development of antisocial behavior. In K. Kendler & L. Eaves (Eds) New Directions for Psychiatric Genetics (pp. 197-232). Washington, DC: American Psychiatric Press, Incorporated. [PDF]

Kremen, W.S., Jacobson, K.C., Xian, H., Eisen, S.A., Waterman, B., Toomey, R., Neale, M.C., Tsuang, M.T., & Lyons, M.J. (2005). Heritability of Word Recognition in Middle-Aged Men Varies as a Function of Parental Education. Behavior Genetics, 35, 417-433. [PDF]

Khan, A.A., Jacobson, K.C., Gardner, C.O., Prescott, C.A., & Kendler, K.S. (2005). Personality and comorbidity of common psychiatric disorders. British Journal of Psychiatry, 186, 190-196. [PDF]

Crider, A., Kremen, W.S., Xian, H., Jacobson, K.C., Waterman, B., Eisen, S.A., Tsuang, M.T., & Lyons, M.J. (2004). Stability, consistency, and heritability of electrodermal response lability in middle-aged Male Twins. Psychophysiology, 51, 501-509. [PDF]

Kendler, K.S., Jacobson, K.C., Prescott, C.A., & Neale, M.C. (2003). The specificity of genetic and environmental risk factors in men for the illicit use and abuse/dependence of cannabis, cocaine, hallucinogens, sedatives, stimulants, and opiates. American Journal of Psychiatry, 160(4), 687-695. [PDF]

Jacobson, K.C., Prescott, C.A., & Kendler, K.S. (2002). Sex differences in genetic and environmental influences on antisocial behavior from childhood to adulthood. Development and Psychopathology, 14, 395-416. [PDF]

Jacobson, K.C., & Crockett, L.J. (2000). Parental monitoring and adolescent adjustment: An ecological approach. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 10, 65-97. [PDF]

Jacobson, K.C., Prescott, C.A., & Kendler, K.S. (2000). Genetic and environmental influences on juvenile antisocial behaviour assessed on two occasions. Psychological Medicine, 30, 1315-1325. [PDF]

Jacobson, K.C., Prescott, C.A., Neale, M. C., & Kendler, K.S. (2000). Cohort differences in genetic and environmental influences on retrospective reports of conduct disorder among adult male twins. Psychological Medicine, 30, 775-787. [PDF]

Jacobson, K.C., & Rowe, D.C. (1999). Genetic and environmental influences on the relationships between family connectedness, school connectedness, and adolescent depressed mood: Sex differences. Developmental Psychology, 35, 926-939. [PDF]

Rowe, D.C., Almeida, D.M., & Jacobson, K.C. (1999). School context and genetic influences on aggression in adolescence. Psychological Science, 10, 277-280. [PDF]

Rowe, D.C., Jacobson, K.C., & Van den Oord, E. J. C. G. (1999). Genetic and environmental influences on vocabulary IQ: Parental education as moderator. Child Development, 70, 1151-1162. [PDF]

Barber, B. L., Jacobson, K.C., Miller, K., & Petersen, A. C. (1998). Ups and downs: Daily cycles of adolescent moods. In A.C. Crouter & R. Larson (Eds.) New Directions for Child and Adolescent Development, 82 (Winter). Temporal rhythms in adolescence: Clocks, calendars, and the coordination of daily life (pp. 23-36). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. [PDF]

Jacobson, K.C., & Rowe, D.C.(1998). Genetic and shared environmental influences on adolescent body mass index: Interactions with race and sex. Behavior Genetics, 28, 265-278. [PDF]