Lectures and seminars Faculty event: Paul Lichtenstein

Title 

Genes, behavior and mental health.

Abstract

This will be a keynote address that I will present at the Swedish Congress for Neuropsychology. Any suggestions for improvement will be appreciated. In the presentation I will talk about what research today knows about the following questions:

• Is familial similarity for behavior/mental conditions due to genes or environments?
• Do environmental factors cause mental ill-health?
• Are psychiatric diagnoses good?
• Does psychotropic medication help?
• Future?

About the speaker

Paul Lichtenstein is professor in genetic epidemiology and a leading international researcher in psychiatric genetics. He has long been affiliated with the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, where he has also served in senior leadership roles, including head or deputy head of department as well as study director for postgraduate studies. 

Research focus  

Lichtenstein’s research centers on understanding how genetic and environmental factors interact to influence mental health and behavior, particularly in children and adolescents. His work relies heavily on large-scale population data, especially the Swedish Twin Registry and national health registers, allowing him to disentangle heredity from environmental influences using twin, family, and sibling-study designs. 

Key contributions

• Demonstrated the shared genetic basis between major psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. 
• Contributed influential findings on ADHD, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), eating disorders, criminal behavior, and substance use, often showing how genetic risk and environmental exposure combine over development. 
• Played a central role in the Child and Adolescent Twin Study in Sweden (CATSS), one of the world’s most important longitudinal twin studies of mental and somatic health. 

Impact

Lichtenstein has published hundreds of highly cited scientific papers in leading journals such as JAMA Psychiatry, Molecular Psychiatry, and The Lancet Psychiatry. His work has shaped modern understanding of the etiology of psychiatric disorders and informed both public health policy and clinical research.

Faculty lunch

Join the faculty event in Wargentin! After the seminar, the faculty lunch will be served in Ljusgården. The faculty lunches are intended for employees at MEB, and a monthly net salary deduction of 260 SEK will be made for those who work here 20% or more. If you have any questions about the lunch or specific dietary needs due to allergies, etc., please contact internservice@meb.ki.se. If you won’t be participating in the lunches for all or part of the spring term, our new routine is that you need to contact hr-support@meb.ki.se at the start of a new term, to be removed from the list. Retroactive adjustments will not be possible.  

Please, check the labeling on the salads not to take special diet foods that were pre-ordered by your colleagues.