All Together Now

The US National Institutes of Health this week launched an online genetics education program for behavioral and social scientists, which will provide them sufficient background "to allow them to engage effectively in interdisciplinary research with genetics researchers," the agency says. NIH says that because many scientific outcomes are not fully explained by genetic, environmental, or social factors alone, interdisciplinary teamwork is critical. "The course will provide sufficient knowledge to support the integration of genetics concepts in the behavioral or social scientist's own research and will allow for collaborative studies with geneticists," NIH says in a statement. Behavioral and social scientists using the online course, "Genetics and Social Science: Expanding Transdisciplinary Research," can learn the material through their choice of case studies, the agency adds.