Jeff Rogers

Jeff Rogers is an Associate Professor of Molecular and Human Genetics at the Baylor College of Medicine. His research is focused on the genetics and genomics of nonhuman primates. These species are widely used as animal models of disease because they are so similar genetically and physiologically to humans. For studies of neurobiology and behavior, infectious diseases, metabolic diseases and other common health problems, nonhuman primates provide unique and valuable experimental models. As the impact of genetics on biomedical and basic biological research increases, the need for detailed information about the genomics of nonhuman primates also grows. His laboratory is working on various aspects of primate genomics, including both basic comparative analyses and targeted research using primate models of human disease, with special emphasis on the genetics of brain function and risk factors for psychiatric disorders. He is also investigating the genetic underpinnings of nonhuman primate neurobiology and primate models of risk for psychiatric disease. In collaboration with psychiatrists and neurobiologists, we study individual variation in behavior among macaques and baboons, and the underlying neurobiological mechanisms. He serves as the Chair of the NCRR-NIH Working Group for Primate Genetics and Genomics and has published widely in prestigious journals including Science and Nature.