Marla Sokolowski

Sokolowski completed her undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto in Zoology in 1977. Sokolowski's early research into evolutionary biology was influenced by Richard Lewontin and Douglas Wahlsten. At the time, very few scientists believed that it was possible for genes to influence normal individual differences in behaviours. This set the stage for Sokolowski's 1980 Ph.D thesis and subsequent research into behavioral genetics.[8]

Sokolowski's research has definitively demonstrated how genes interact with the environment, and thus have an impact on behaviour.[10][11][3] She has pioneered the development of a branch of behaviour genetics that addresses the genetic and molecular bases of natural individual differences in behaviour.[12][10] This is demonstrated most clearly in her discovery of the foraging(for) gene.

By mapping the movement patterns of Drosophila, she discovered a single gene that influenced the style of foraging that they used. Sokolowski's subsequent cloning of this gene, which she named foraging (for), was the first ever molecular characterization of a gene which regulates normal individual differences in a behaviour.[13] This gene has since been studied in many other animals, including humans.[8] Sokolowski demonstrated that the for gene can be influenced by the environment of the individual: this means that the style of foraging is dependent on the life that the individual has lived.[14]

Sokolowski has applied her work to early childhood development,[15][16] demonstrating how children who are at risk can benefit from nutritional, financial, educational and emotional interventions.[17]

• The Weston Fellow, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research[19]
• Distinguished Fellow, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research[20]
• Senior Fellow, Massey College (2001)[19]
• Fellow, Royal Society of Canada (1998)[19]

• J.J. Berry Smith Doctoral Supervision Award from the University of Toronto for "her commitment and success in guiding graduate students, providing a supportive and stimulating learning experience, inspiring excellence in academic scholarship and integrity, and preparing them for their future careers".[21]
• Flavelle Medal from the Royal Society of Canada "for an outstanding contribution to biological science during the preceding ten years or for significant additions to a previous outstanding contribution to biological science". (2020) [22][4]
• Distinguished Investigator Award from the International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society (2014)[23]
• Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Medal (2013)[19]
• The Genetics Society of Canada William F Grant and Peter B Moens Award of Excellence (2007)[24][25]
• Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Genetics and Behavioural Neurology (since 2001-02-014)[26]
• Young Scientist Award, Genetics Society of Canada (1993)[27]

• Director of the Life Sciences Division of the Academy of Sciences of the Royal Society of Canada (2009-2012)[26][28]
• Co-Director of the Child and Brain Development Program, CIFAR (2008-2019)[29]
• Co-Director of the Experience Based Brain and Biological Development, CIFAR
• Inaugural Academic Director of the Fraser Mustard Institute for Human Development at University of Toronto (2012) [30][31][32]
• Member of the Advisory Committee for The Science of Early Child Development[33]
• Chair of the Gordon Research Conference on Genes and Behaviour Conference (2008)[34]