Research summary
Evolutionary medicine examines how natural selection, genetic variation and adaptation shape human health and disease—and it can also offer new insights into various disorders. As Canada Research Chair in Evolutionary Biology of Human Health and Disease, Dr. Bernard Crespi is testing an evolutionary-medical theory that links variation in female reproductive traits and the risks of endometriosis and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) to prenatal and postnatal testosterone levels. These levels may, in turn, influence the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian system and the development of dimorphic traits (those that differ between males and females).
Crespi and his research team are studying women with endometriosis or PCOS to explore hormonal effects on reproductive physiology. They are also examining healthy women to assess how testosterone levels influence traits related to these conditions and studying mice with low testosterone. Their work may lead to new treatments for reproductive disorders in women.