The Serbian Twin Advanced Registry (STAR): Integrating Behavioral Genetic, Molecular Genetic, and Epigenetic Research Across the Lifespan.

Abstract

The Serbian Twin Advanced Registry (STAR), established in 2014, is a multigenerational resource for studying genetic, environmental, and epigenetic influences on behavior and development. STAR currently includes more than 9000 participants, extending the classical twin design to parents and siblings and enabling fine-grained modeling of genetic inheritance, cultural transmission, and shared environments. Methodological innovations include experimental procedures, virtual reality paradigms, and longitudinal, multi-informant assessments from childhood to adulthood, combined with molecular data collection. Published findings highlight heritable structures in executive functions, personality, and psychopathology, alongside environmentally shaped differences in behaviors such as aggression. Epigenetic studies have demonstrated associations between COMT promoter methylation and impulsivity-related traits, while ongoing genomewide analyses aim to identify environmentally mediated methylation variability. By integrating advanced methodologies with open science practices, STAR provides a sustainable platform for behavioral genetics in Serbia and contributes to international research on adaptation and psychopathology across the lifespan.