Sari M. van Anders

B.A., The University of Western Ontario, 2001
M.A., The University of Western Ontario, 2003
Ph.D., Simon Fraser University, 2007

Research Interests

(see also my lab website: www.iub.edu/~smvanand/)

Social Neuroendocrinology: How does the social world ‘get into’ our body?

My research program focuses principally on bidirectional associations between hormones and social behaviors and contexts, and I am especially interested in the social modulation of androgens. I mainly examine partnering- and sexuality-related behaviors and contexts, and sometimes competition and nurturance. My focus includes attention to gender/sex and, often, diverse populations. I am interested in the hormone-behavior associations in their own right, as well as their implications for health and evolutionary processes.

Biological Rhythms in Hormones: How do hormones change with patterns of time?

In relation to my social neuroendocrine research program, I am interested in examining biological rhythms in hormones, and their implications for health, individual differences, and evolutionary considerations. As such, I am interested in the impact of temporal patterns like age, seasonality, menstrual cycles, and diurnal rhythms on endocrine parameters and associated behaviors and measures.

Representative Publications

van Anders, S.M., Hamilton, L.D., and Watson, N.V. (2007). Multiple partners are associated with higher testosterone in North American men and women. Hormones and Behavior, 51, 454-459.

van Anders, S.M., Hamilton, L.D., Schmidt, N., and Watson, N.V. (2007). Associations between testosterone secretion and sexual activity in women. Hormones and Behavior, 51, 477-482.

van Anders, S.M., Hampson, E., and Watson, N.V. (2006). Seasonality, waist-to-hip ratio, and testosterone. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 31, 895-899.

van Anders, S.M., Vernon, P.A., and Wilbur, C.J. (2006). Finger-length ratios show evidence of prenatal hormone transfer between opposite-sex twins. Hormones and Behavior, 49(3), 315-319.

van Anders, S.M. and Watson, N.V. (2006). Menstrual cycle irregularities are associated with testosterone in healthy premenopausal women. American Journal of Human Biology, 18(6), 841-844.

van Anders, S.M. and Watson, N.V. (2006). Relationship status and testosterone in North American heterosexual and non-heterosexual men and women: Cross-sectional and longitudinal data. Psychoneuroendocrinology, 31, 715-723.

van Anders, S.M. and Watson, N.V. (2006). Social neuroendocrinology: Effects of social contexts and behaviours on sex steroids in humans. Human Nature, 17(2), 212-237.

van Anders, S.M., Chernick, A.B., Chernick, B.A., Hampson, E., and Fisher, W.A. (2005). Preliminary clinical experience with androgen supplementation for pre- and post-menopausal women with hypoactive sexual desire. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 31, 1-13.