The International Society for Twin Studies (ISTS) is an international, non-profit scientific organization. The aim of the society is to advance research and knowledge in all fields of science related to

twin Twins are two offspring produced by the same pregnancy.MedicineNet > Definition of Twin Last Editorial Review: 19 June 2000 Twins can be either ''monozygotic'' ('identical'), meaning that they develop from one zygote, which splits and forms two ...

s and/or

twin studies Twin studies are studies conducted on Identical twin, identical or Fraternal twin, fraternal twins. They aim to reveal the importance of environmental and genetics, genetic influences for traits, phenotypes, and disorders. Twin research is consid ...

, for the benefit of both twins and their families as well as worldwide scientific communities.

International Congress on Twin Studies

The ''International Congress on Twin Studies'' (ICTS) is a tri-ennial conference organised by the ISTS. Past locations include

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

Florence Florence ( ; ) is the capital city of the Italy, Italian region of Tuscany. It is also the most populated city in Tuscany, with 362,353 inhabitants, and 989,460 in Metropolitan City of Florence, its metropolitan province as of 2025. Florence ...

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

Ghent Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...

Odense Odense ( , , ) is the third largest city in Denmark (after Copenhagen and Aarhus) and the largest city on the island of Funen. As of 1 January 2025, the city proper had a population of 185,480 while Odense Municipality had a population of 210, ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

and others.

Journal

Twin Research and Human Genetics ''Twin Research and Human Genetics'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published bimonthly by the Cambridge University Press. It is the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies (ISTS) and the Human Genetics Society of A ...

'' is the official journal of the International Society for Twin Studies.

James Shields Award

The ''James Shields Award for Lifetime Contributions to Twin Research'' is an award created in 1980 in honor of James Shields, a pioneering researcher in human behavior genetics. Winners usually receive the award at the ''International Congress on Twin Studies'' or at the annual meeting of the

Behavior Genetics Association The Behavior Genetics Association (BGA) is a learned society established in 1970 that promotes research into the connections between heredity and behavior, both human and animal. Its members support education and training in behavior genetics and ...

. Past winners include

Lindon Eaves } Lindon J. Eaves (1944–2022) was a behavior geneticist and priest who published on topics as diverse as the heritability of religion and psychopathology. His research encompassed the development of mathematical models reflecting competing theo ...

Peter Propping Peter Propping (21 December 1942 – 26 April 2016) was a German human geneticist. The scientific work of Propping spans genetically complex diseases, especially affecting brain function such as alcoholism, manic depressive disorders, schizo ...

, Nick Martin,

Dorret Boomsma Dorret I. Boomsma (born 18 November 1957, in Huizen, The Netherlands) is a Dutch biological psychologist specializing in genetics and twin studies. Education * Secondary education: Willem de Zwijgerlyceum, Bussum * Bachelor's: Vrije Universi ...

Nancy Segal Nancy L. Segal (born 1951) is an American evolutionary psychologist and behavioral geneticist, specializing in the study of twins. She is the professor of developmental psychology and director of the Twin Studies Center, at California State Un ...

Matt McGue Matt McGue is an American behavior geneticist and Regents Professor of psychology at the University of Minnesota, where he co-directs the Minnesota Center for Twin and Family Research. Career McGue received his B.A. in psychology (minor: mathe ...

Robert Plomin Robert Joseph Plomin (born 1948) is an American/British psychologist, geneticist, and professor at the Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London. He mainly works within behavioural genetics. A ''Review of General Psychology'' survey, publis ...

, John K. Hewitt and others.

References

External links

International Society for Twin Studies: web site
{{DEFAULTSORT:International Society For Twin Studies Twin studies International scientific organizations Organizations established in 1974 Behavioural genetics societies 1974 establishments in Italy