Female moles evolved to have high testosterone levels, making them fiercer diggers and mothers. Female hyenas share this trait, but it means they must give birth through a male-like phallus.
Wild dolphins are fast, smart and hard to study, but it is important to understand how human actions affect their health. So we are building a drone to sample hormones from the blowholes of dolphins.
A scholar and mother of a young child who is now working at home explores what’s called the ‘work-family conflict’ – and finds that’s the wrong label for the impossible choices faced by parents.
Long-term or historical use of oral contraceptives may lead to an increased risk of depression in later years; understanding the risk will better inform the decision whether or not to take the pill.
Don’t get too excited about the prospect of freezing ovarian tissue to postpone menopause. The costs, risks and unknowns are likely to outweigh the potential benefits.
Studies show oestrogen protects against depression and psychotic symptoms. So falls in the hormone, as happens before menstruation, can lead to depressive and other symptoms of mental illness.
Worker naked mole-rats take care of their colony’s young even though they aren’t the pups’ actual parents. New research suggests the queen gets them ready via hormones in her poop.
Professor of Women’s Health Research, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, & Director of Research, Royal Women's Hospital, The University of Melbourne
Gynaecology Unit Head the Royal Women’s Hospital and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, The University of Melbourne