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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Kellner Center

Genes, Brains, Behavior, and Society

Learn More About The Center

The Center aims to create a new synthesis to advance our knowledge of the complex processes by which genes, behavior, and society shape individuals and society. To do so, the Center conducts cutting-edge collaborative research across a breadth of fields from genomic biology to neuroscience to social and behavioral science to social work. 

Ultimately, the Center aims to connect findings from basic biological research to its implications for our understanding and treatment of mental illness, and to bring an evidence-based approach to public policy about mental illness.

In addition to fostering basic science research on genes, brain, and behavior, the Center supports innovative programs in science communication and translation to enhance treatment methods, inform policy decisions, and provide educational opportunities for a variety of audiences related to mental illness.

During its first five years, the Center will engage in the following classes of activities:

  1. Support ongoing and new GNDP research and joint GNDP-CSBS projects;
  2. Host regular meetings (reading groups, workshops) to facilitate the development of small grant submissions to CSBS;
  3. Promote the Center’s visibility by sponsoring visits from outside speakers;
  4. Provide seed funding through the CSBS to support projects linking genomics and the social and behavioral sciences;
  5. Promote links between IGB, CSBS, and SSW by providing support for the Genomics forTM workshops;
  6. Provide support for the Policy Research Legislative Fellows program in the Center for Social and Behavioral Science (CSBS) in which graduate students are placed in local legislators’ offices to use their research expertise to develop evidence-based policies;
  7. Use the latest research to inform the development of innovative treatment methods, policies, and training programs for those on the front lines in social work, ultimately transforming the lives of those affected by severe mental illnesses;
  8. Host interdisciplinary seminars and workshops that provide training on genetic influences on mental health, particularly serious mental illnesses;
  9. Develop and offer online educational modules on neurogenomics, providing continuing education opportunities for mental health professionals across diverse disciplines; and 
  10. Sponsor community outreach events and public lectures to educate the broader community on the latest advancements in neurogenomics and their implications for the treatment and prevention of mental illness.