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Megan Arnot

(she/her)

3

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Lecturer (Teaching) in Evolutionary Anthropology, UCL

I am an evolutionary anthropologist, currently working as a Lecturer at UCL in the Anthropology department.

My research themes can broadly be split into two categories. Firstly, I am interested in life history theory, specifically how life history trade-offs in response to ecological conditions can affect the timing of key life history traits, like age of first reproduction and sexual maturation. I am currently researching whether one's perception of their ecology, rather than their absolute ecology, can account for the cross-cultural variation we see in responses to the environment. Related to life history theory, I am interested in whether menopause timing can be seen as a life history trait, or whether it is purely the product of biological factors.

Secondly, I am interested in improving women's health throughout the menopausal transition. Previous research has shown that menopause symptoms are not just a product of hormonal factors, but the result of an interaction between a woman's biology and social environment. Therefore, I am interested in understanding what social factors worsen and improve a woman's experience of menopause symptoms, and integrating them into a public health framework. I am also passionate about improving menopause education both for the general public and health practitioners. As a result of historical taboos surrounding women's health, menopause has historically been underdiscussed. More recently, it has entered the public discourse, and therefore I am actively trying to use this momentum to facilitate change in clinical and educational settings.

Experience

  • 2021–present
    Lecturer (Teaching) in Evolutionary Anthropology, University College London
  • 2017–2021
    Post-graduate teaching assistant, University College London
  • 2021–2021
    Research assistant, University College London
  • 2019–2019
    Research assistant, Wellcome Trust

Education

  • 2021 
    University College London, PhD Biological Anthropology
  • 2017 
    University College London, MSci Human Sciences and Evolution

Publications

  • 2021
    An evolutionary perspective on kin care directed up the generations, Scientific Reports
  • 2021
    How does the British public understand mental health? A qualitative analysis of open-text responses, International Journal of Social Psychiatry
  • 2021
    Life course socioeconomic position and body composition in adulthood: a systematic review and narrative synthesis, International Journal of Obesity
  • 2021
    Socioeconomic position and body composition in childhood in high- and middle-income countries: a systematic review and narrative synthesis, International Journal of Obesity
  • 2021
    The relationship between social support, stressful events, and menopause symptoms, PLOS One
  • 2020
    How evolutionary behavioural sciences can help us understand behaviour in a pandemic, Evolution, Medicine & Public Health
  • 2020
    Sexual frequency is associated with age of natural menopause: results from the Study of Women's Health Across the Nation, Royal Society Open Science
  • 2019
    Current ecology, not ancestral dispersal patterns, influences menopause symptom severity, Ecology & Evolution

Grants and Contracts

  • 2017
    Soc-B Centre for Doctoral Training
    Role:
    PhD researcher
    Funding Source:
    Economic and Social Research Council
  • 2017
    Soc-B Centre for Doctoral Training
    Role:
    PhD researcher
    Funding Source:
    Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council

Professional Memberships

  • European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association
  • Human Behavior and Evolution Society