CHANDRA A. REYNOLDS Associate Professor Ph.D., University of Southern California, 1994 951-827-2430, chandra.reynolds@ucr.edu

My primary research focuses on how and why individuals differ from one another in health and cognition across development. Three principal projects approach these topics from different perspectives:

I. Why do some individuals show rapid decline in cognitive functioning with age while others remain stable or decline relatively less?
My work in this area has entailed: identifying the most sensitive ways of looking at cognitive change, examining twin similarity and differences in change, and considering health and psychosocial correlates of change. With support from the National Institute on Aging (NIA) [AG028555] I am continuing the investigation of cognitive decline in older Swedish adults with a focus on candidate genes in the cholesterol pathway that may influence cognitive change and decline.

II. What are the dynamic interrelationships between health and psychosocial trajectories across the lifespan?
In a NIA funded project [AG008825] that spans both my lab and the lab of colleague Dr. Howard S. Friedman, the nature of psychosocial-health-longevity relationships are being addressed using data from the 8-decade long Terman Life Cycle Study. We are applying state-of-the-art developmental models to examine lead-lag relationships of health and psychological traits across age.

III. Do people choose mates similar/dissimilar to themselves or does the family social milieu dictate the range of potential mates?
Mate similarity is an important but sometimes overlooked question in behavioral genetic studies. In prior work I have considered archival data on Swedish twins and their spouses to assess processes of spouse similarity for traits ranging from educational attainment, cognitive ability, alcohol, tobacco, and caffeine consumption. Related analyses will address environmental and familial transmission to adult children. Additionally, I am directing a meta-analysis project of mate similarity studies published in the past century on health and behavioral traits.

View my research web page (gemini.ucr.edu) for more information on current research projects and the graduate students working with me.

SELECTED PUBLICATIONS

Reynolds, C.A., Gatz, M., Berg, S., Pedersen, N.L. (2007). Genotype-Environment Interactions: Cognitive Aging and Social Factors. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 10, 241-254.

Reynolds, C.A., Fiske, A., Fratiglioni, L., Pedersen, N.L., Gatz, M. (2006). Heritability of an age-dependent categorical phenotype: Cognitive dysfunction. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 9, 17-23.

Reynolds, C.A., Prince, J.A., Feuk, L., Gatz, M., & Pedersen, N.L. (2006). Longitudinal memory performance during normal aging: twin association models of APOE and other Alzheimer candidate genes. Behavior Genetics, 36, 185-94.<Supplemental Appendix Material>

Reynolds, C.A., Barlow, T., Pedersen, N.L. (2006). Alcohol, tobacco and caffeine use: Spouse similarity processes. Behavior Genetics, 36, 201-15. <Supplemental Appendix Material>

Reynolds, C.A., Jansson, M., Gatz, M., & Pedersen, N.L. (2006). Longitudinal change in memory performance associated with HTR2A polymorphism. Neurobiology of Aging, 27, 150-4

Reynolds, C.A., Finkel, D., McArdle, J.J, Gatz, M., Berg, S. & Pedersen, N.L. (2005). Quantitative genetic analysis of latent growth curve models of cognitive abilities in adulthood. Developmental Psychology, 41, 3-16.

Reynolds, C. A., Gatz, M., & Pedersen, N. L. (2002). Individual variation for cognitive decline: Quantitative methods for describing patterns of change. Psychology & Aging, 17, 271-287.

Reynolds, C.A., Baker, L.A., Pedersen, N.L. (2000). Multivariate models of mixed assortment: phenotypic assortment and social homogamy for education and fluid ability. Behavior Genetics, 30, 455-476.