birth_date known_for alma_mater article_title education name occupation organization
1942 applied and psycholinguistics university of sydney mcmaster university brian l. byrne
 bachelor of arts doctor of philosophy brian byrne social scientist and emeritus professor university of new england
brian l. byrne

brian l. byrne -lrb- born 1942 -rrb- is a social scientist specializing in applied and psycholinguistics , an emeritus professor at the university of new england in australia , and lead author of publications and articles on research in his field .
byrne was a lead researcher in the 10-year-long , $ 5 million national institutes of health study by an international team of scientists into the development of reading ability in 1,000 pairs of twins .
beginning in 2000 , the study found that genetics were more important influences on reading development than environmental factors .
in 2012 , byrne was appointed a lead researcher in a similar australian study of twins .
