33 Facts About Irving Gottesman

Irving Isadore Gottesman was an American professor of psychology who devoted most of his career to the study of the genetics of schizophrenia.

Irving Gottesman wrote 17 books and more than 290 other publications, mostly on schizophrenia and behavioral genetics, and created the first academic program on behavioral genetics in the United States.

Irving Gottesman won awards such as the Hofheimer Prize for Research, the highest award from the American Psychiatric Association for psychiatric research.

Lastly, Gottesman was a professor in the psychology department at the University of Minnesota, where he received his Ph.

Irving Gottesman is known for researching schizophrenia in identical twins to document the contributions of genetics and the family, social, cultural, and economic environment to the onset, progress, and inter-generational transmission of the disorder.

Irving Gottesman has worked with researchers to analyze hospital records and conduct follow-up interviews of twins where one or both were schizophrenic.

Irving Gottesman has researched the effects of genetics and the environment on human violence and variations in human intelligence.

Irving Gottesman has written and co-written a series of books which summarize his work.

Irving Gottesman was educated at Miles Standish Elementary and a public school in Cleveland's Shaker Heights.

Irving Gottesman did his graduate work at the University of Minnesota, which then patterned its clinical psychology program on the Boulder model, which emphasized research theory and clinical practice.

Irving Gottesman began investigating personality traits in identical and fraternal twins who had filled out the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.

Irving Gottesman began his career at Harvard University as a social relations and psychology lecturer.

Irving Gottesman continued visiting London and collaborating with Shields, with whom he co-wrote a series of books.

Irving Gottesman has advised 35 graduate students, and an annual lecture on behavior and neurogenetics has been established in his name by the University of Virginia.

Irving Gottesman was married to Carol Applen, whom he wed on December 23,1970; they had two sons.

Irving Gottesman was one of the presenters at the 1995 conference at the Aspen Institute in Maryland on how strongly genes controlled a person's leaning toward violence and crime.

Irving Gottesman presented results from studies on the influence of genes in criminality, stating that identical twins separated at birth were likely to show similar levels of criminal behavior.

Irving Gottesman did point out that behavioral patterns were strongly influenced by the environment and not set by genes alone.

Irving Gottesman reasserted his belief that scientists should proceed with the research, not waiting for humanity to become ethical enough not to misuse it.

In 1972, Irving Gottesman was called before the United States Senate by senator Walter Mondale to discuss the then 15-point IQ gap separating African Americans and white Americans.

Irving Gottesman testified that genes influenced IQ, but only in conjunction with elements such as schooling, money, and nutritious food from childhood onwards.

Irving Gottesman researched and published on the abuse of genetic research in Nazi Germany, and provided expert testimony in a Chinese human rights case involving schizophrenia in the family.

Irving Gottesman opposed the Nazi-associated Pioneer Fund, which funded some of his colleagues.

Irving Gottesman emphasized that genetics influences patients' behavior in concert with the family, social, economic, and cultural contexts.

Irving Gottesman highlighted random events as an important "third element" determining behavior and what unfolds as apparent destiny.

Irving Gottesman authored nine books, all related to schizophrenia and psychiatric genetics.

Schizophrenia: The Epigenetic Puzzle outlined the approaches, conclusions and models Irving Gottesman used in his study of schizophrenia.

Irving Gottesman co-wrote the book with James Shields, who died before it was published.

Irving Gottesman takes the view that schizophrenia is a disease of the industrial world.

Irving Gottesman saw it first mentioned by physicians in 1809 and by Balzac in a short story in 1832, showing minimally the disorder had by then been recognized as such.

Irving Gottesman mentioned a disparity in schizophrenia diagnosis after World War II across the Atlantic, when US psychiatric diagnoses quadrupled those of British psychiatrists.

Irving Gottesman used a computer-based method for calculating the odds of becoming schizophrenic based on the many causes.

Irving Gottesman has been recognized by professional organizations in the United States, Britain, and Japan.