Pioneer in behavioral genetics emeritus
On Friday, June 19, Dorret Boomsma did deliver her emeritus speech, The Power of Difference , at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. After a career spanning more than forty years -and she has no plans to stop yet- she looked ahead and back on research that has contributed worldwide to a better understanding of how genetic predisposition and environment together influence health, behavior and psychological traits.
Boomsma is considered one of the most influential researchers in behavioral genetics. Her pioneering studies showed how individual differences arise and why people differ from one another in intelligence, personality, lifestyle and mental health, among other things. Her research provided important insights on the role of genetics in depression, ADHD, addiction, loneliness, physical health and female fertility, with direct relevance to health care and societal issues around prevention and well-being.
From Dutch initiative to global data source
An important basis for these scientific breakthroughs was the Dutch Twin Register founded by Boomsma and her supervisor Prof Orlebeke. What began in the 1980s as an innovative research project grew into one of the largest twin registers in the world, with now more than 200,000 participants. The long-term involvement of thousands of families allowed researchers to track over several generations how hereditary factors and environmental influences combine to contribute to health and behavior.
New insights thanks to genomics and big data
In her work, Boomsma combined classical twin studies with modern molecular-genetic techniques and large-scale international collaborations. In doing so, she played a key role in the development of genetic epidemiology and in the transition from traditional hereditary research to the current era of genomics, epigenetics and big data. Her research enabled increasingly precise mapping of genetic and biological processes and a better understanding of how they are related to health and development.
Under her leadership, several international breakthroughs were achieved. In 2016, she and colleagues identified genes associated with having two-egg twins. This was followed in 2021 by the discovery of a unique epigenetic signature in identical twins, a finding that offers new perspectives for research on human development and health.
Lasting impact on science and society
In addition to her scientific work, Boomsma played an important role in educating new generations of researchers and strengthening international research networks. She received numerous awards for her contributions, including the Spinoza Prize and the Merian Prize. She was also made a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences and the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and received an honorary doctorate from the University of Helsinki.
With her research, Dorret Boomsma has not only permanently changed the field of behavioral genetics, but also contributed to societal discussions about health, mental resilience and the influence of heredity and environment on human life.