Virginia J. Vitzthum PhD

Virginia J. Vitzthum is Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University Bloomington and Senior Scientist at the Kinsey Institute. In 2011, she was elected a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science for her research contributions, particularly for evolutionary models of women’s reproductive function, and her international work bridging science and policy. Her research focuses on the environmental, behavioral and sociocultural determinants of individual and population variation in women’s reproductive functioning and the consequences of this variation for women’s health. Her policy contributions include prevention of mother-to-child HIV transmission and improving contraceptive technologies. She has conducted research in the Andes, Central Asia, Europe and the USA. Most recently, with funding from the US National Science Foundation and the Iceland Fulbright Commission, she and her Icelandic collaborators are conducting a multi-season study of the impact of dramatic seasonal changes in photoperiod on several aspects of women’s physiology including ovarian and immune functioning, sleep and activity patterns, and psychosocial well-being.