Gene-Environment Interaction

Gene-environment interaction describes how our genotype (our unique genetic code) is expressed differently according to the environment, producing different phenotypes (the physical expression of our genes).
We can use musical ability as an example of gene-environment interaction; people who have a "natural talent" for music may have a high genetic propensity for musical ability, and if they grow up in a musical environment, where they play and listen to music often, they will likely develop very good musical ability. However if they grew up in a non-musical environment and focused on different skills, such as sports, their musical ability would not be as strong, as the environment would be less favourable for the development of the phenotype.
At the Hungry Mind Lab, we are researching the impact of gene-environment interaction on early life cognitive development.