rpetersen

I am a fourth year PhD Student studying Biological Anthropology at New York University. I have always been interested in reproductive physiology, and am fascinated by the co-evolution of reproductive strategies in males and females. I would like to know more about how sexual selection has shaped female physiology and how females exert control over reproduction.

I have extensive past experience and training in evolutionary primatology through coursework and internships. During undergrad, I worked in the Reproductive Physiology lab at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and learned techniques in non-invasive hormone analysis from excreta. I have been trained on DNA extraction and sequencing methods during an internship with Dr. Todd Disotell in the NYU Molecular Anthropology Lab, and have been trained on RNA extraction and qPCR methods during an internship with Dr. Frances Champagne at Columbia University. I completed a one year internship monitoring ape behavior at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, IL, and also completed a masters’ thesis on primate behavior and health, which included extensive manipulation and statistical analysis of a large behavioral dataset. I undertook an introductory visit to the CNRS Primatology Station in June 2016 to establish relationships with researchers and ensure feasibility of the proposed research, and observed wild olive baboons at Kibale National Park, Uganda in July 2016.

In addition to my technical laboratory experience, my experiences as both a mentor and a mentee have shaped my career ambitions. My ultimate goals include increasing female and minority perspectives in science and encouraging evolutionary perspectives for the improvement of women’s reproductive health.

February 2018