William G. IaconoProfessor

Professor William G. Iacono is a Distinguished McKnight University Professor. He also is an Adjunct Professor for the Institute of Child Development. Professor Iacono earned his Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology at the University of Minnesota and his B.S. from Carnegie-Mellon University where he was a Proctor and Gamble Scholar.

Professor Iacono joined the University of Minnesota in 1978 as an Assistant Professor. In 1979 he joined the faculty at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, B.C. as an Assistant Professor and became an Associate Professor in 1984. He returned to Minnesota as an Associate Professor in 1985.
My major research interest is the study of severe mental disorders from a psychophysiological, behavior genetic perspective. My primary goal is to identify biological or psychophysiological characteristics that reflect the expression of the gene or genes that predispose individuals to develop schizophrenia or substance-use disorders. In our laboratory, my students and I record eye movements, event-related potentials, and various measures of autonomic nervous system functioning such as skin conductance and heart rate.