Hamilton industrialist’s legacy funds researcher’s quest for the genetic roots of social behaviour

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/occonor.jpg” caption=”Constance O’Connor is the recipient of the 2011 E.B. Eastburn Postdoctoral Fellowship, which provides $80,000 over the course of two years to fund her work studying the genetic makeup of cichlids, a fascinating and diverse group of fishes whose social behaviour may yield a common denominator among species.”]The drive to socialize comes from deep within, and a McMaster researcher is now armed
with the resources to search for the common genetic code that tells creatures of all
kinds to get together.

Constance O'Connor is the recipient of the 2011 E.B. Eastburn Postdoctoral Fellowship,
which provides $80,000 over the course of two years to fund her work studying the
genetic makeup of cichlids, a fascinating and diverse group of fishes whose social
behaviour may yield a common denominator among species.

The Eastburn Fellowship, considered one of Canada's most prestigious research
fellowships, is administered by the Hamilton Community Foundation, and is the legacy
of Hamilton industrialist Eugene B. Eastburn, who was president of National Hosiery
Mills in Hamilton and served as vice-president of the foundation.

Eastburn died in 1962, and the fellowship is an expression of his desire to enable young
scientists to pursue full-time studies and scientific research. To date, the fellowship has
funded 32 fellowships in physics, chemistry, mathematics, medical sciences, biology,
geology and zoology.

This year, the fellowship has become exclusive to McMaster researchers, a fact that
McMaster and the Hamilton Community Foundation are celebrating with the
announcement of this year's winner.

“Strengthening the partnership between these two institutions brings together the best
of both for the benefit of all,” said Hamilton Community Foundation president and CEO
Terry Cooke. “Eugene Eastburn's thoughtful investment in scientific research is
continuing to yield rich rewards half a century later.”

“Our postdoctoral fellows are not only members of the McMaster community, but
members of the Hamilton community as well,” said Allison Sekuler, associate vice-
president and dean of graduate studies at McMaster. “This partnership with the
Hamilton Community Foundation greatly enhances our ability to attract the best
researchers to Hamilton, where they contribute to both the university and the city.”

O'Connor is a prolific researcher whose work crosses disciplinary boundaries, and her
project with the cichlids is expected to touch on biology, psychology, chemistry, health
science and neuroscience. She will be conducting her research in the Department of
Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, working with Professor Sigal Balshine.

“I believe that maintaining broad skill sets and many active collaborations will provide
access to the most appropriate tools and models for answering important biological
questions,” O'Connor said.

O'Connor is planning to compare hundreds of genes believed to be related to the drive
to socialize among species of cichlids that exhibit a range of social behaviours. The goal
is to determine whether there is a common “signature of sociality” across species.

The cichlids that are the focus of this research are native to Lake Tanganyika in east
Africa. Because they exhibit a rich diversity of social systems, they are frequently used
for the scientific study of group behaviour.