Genetics of Complex Phenotypes:

Complex phenotypes are difficult to measure, are influenced by many interacting genes and are easily modified by subtle environmental factors. Such phenotypes may exhibit extensive emergent epistatic and genotype-environmental interactions. Behavior is perhaps one of the most complex phenotypes possible and for many years I worked in the analysis of individual differences in behavior.  Recently, I have begun collaborating with Dr. Mary Konsolaki on behavioral measures for Drosophila that overexpress beta-amyloid - one of the proteins involved in Alzheimer's disease.  Drosophila is an excellent model system for understanding this neurodegenerative disease. In order to understand the functions of genes associated with Alzheimer's disease we need a variety of genetic, behavioral, molecular, biochemical and cell-biological methods. I am looking for motivated students interested in behavior genetics for this work for the 2005-2006 academic year.
 

Scholarship of Teaching.

Much of my current research focuses on ways to reform science education.  I am deeply involved with SENCER (Science Education for New Civic Engagements and Responsibilities).  This is an "NSF-funded program that connects science and civic engagement by teaching "through" complex, capacious and unsolved public issues, such as natural catastrophes, water quality, HIV disease, the Human Genome Project, energy alternatives, and nuclear disarmament."  SENCER also supports  large-scale, institutionalized science education reform. (www.sencer.net) I  led a second team of Rutgers faculty from the Departments of Psychology, Genetics and Cell Biology and Neuroscience to the SENCER summer institute in August 2004 In addition, I have become part of the SENCER core faculty and a Senior Associate of the National Center for Science and Civic Engagement located at Harrisburg University of Science and Technology  As a result of these activities I recently was an invited participant in a Workshop on Introductory Science Courses at the Center of Education of the National Research Council http://www7.nationalacademies.org/cfe/ .

I am currently developing on-line teaching resources including the Genetics Toolbox and simulations of Mendelian crosses. I am looking for students have taken genetics and have excellent writing skills to work on the Toolbox. this undertaking. I am looking for students who have taken genetics and who have significant computer and/or website design skills to assist in the simulations.  Interest in science education is a plus.  These project are suitable for credit in Advanced Independent Study in Genetics. Currently,  I am looking for interested students who wish to do an independent study.   If interested contact me at mcguire@biology.rutgers.edu.

Ecology of Emotion:

This is work was carried out in collaboration with Dr. Jeannette Haviland-Jones (Dept. of Psychology) and my former Ph.D. student Dr. Louis Cantafio. Emotion is often modeled as arising from a set of hard-wired circuits in the brain. Recent work from our groups has shown that emotion might be modified by subtle environmental cues such as fresh flowers. In addition, humans might communicate emotional information through odors and/or pheromones. There are large individual differences in the perception of emotional cues and these may be influenced by the genotypes of both the "odor donor" and the "odor recipient".  We are currently writing up the results of this work and I am taking no new students for this work for the 2005-2006 academic year.

McGuire, T.R. and Hirsch, J. (1977) General intelligence (g) and heritability (H2, h2). in I. Uzigiris and F. Weizman (Eds), The Structuring of Experience. New York: Plenum Press. pp. 25-72.

Hirsch, J., McGuire, T.R. and Vetta, A. (1980). Concepts of Behavior Genetics and Misapplications to Humans. in J. Locker (Ed.), The Evolution of Human Social Behavior. New York: Levier North Holland, Inc. pp. 138-215.

Haviland, JAM., McGuire, T.R. and Roth Baum, P.A. (1983). A critique of Plomin and Foch's "A twin study of objectively assessed personality in childhood." Journal of Social and Personality Psychology. 45: 663-640.

McGuire, T. R. (1995). Is homosexuality genetic? A critical review and some suggestions. Journal of Homosexuality, 28: 115-145.

Haviland-Jones, J.M., Wilson, P., Rosario-Hale, H. and McGuire, T.R. (2004) An Environmental Approach to Positive Emotion: Flowers, Evolutionary Psychology (in review).

McGuire, T.R. and Haviland-Jones, JM (2004). Reliable Individual Differences in the Detection of Human Emotional Signals (in preparation).