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Faculty of Arts and Science researcher Sari van Anders has earned the University of Minnesota Medical School’s Program in Human Sexuality (PHS) inaugural Distinguished Sexual and Gender Health Revolutionary award.

This award was designed to complement the first 50 years of the PHS, an internationally renowned research institute led by some of the world’s foremost experts in understanding sexual and gender health.

Dr. van Anders, Canada 150 Research Chair in Social Neuroendocrinology, Sexuality, & Gender/Sex, is a world leader in developing new methods and understandings of gender/sex and sexual diversity and researching how social behavioural contexts tied to sexuality, gender, and intimacy has an impact on hormones, especially testosterone.

“The award means so much to my career because my work doesn't directly study health but is certainly relevant, and it’s an honour for that to be recognized,” says Dr. van Anders (Psychology). “Doing feminist and queer work can be a struggle because of anti-feminist and anti-queer pushback, so it's phenomenal to be recognized when doing work that so deeply challenges normative and accepted paradigms. As someone who is still relatively young, it is a real honour to be recognized alongside leaders in our field who have been doing this work for many decades.”

Dr. van Anders’ lab explores aspects of sexual behaviour and experiences tied to gender like orgasm, desire, and watching pornography. Throughout all this, she works within a feminist and queer lens. One example of ongoing research includes working with grad student Will Beischel where they are exploring gender euphoria and pleasure.

“Trans and/or nonbinary people have contacted us to tell us how important it is for them to see these positive aspects explored and how it helped them make sense of their own euphoric experiences,” she adds.

And her work on testosterone, gender/sex, and sexuality is helping people to better understand that testosterone is related and responds to a multitude of phenomena, including and well beyond masculinity.

“Our work helps people stop and rethink some of the cultural assumptions about hormones, gender/sex, and sexuality, and also helps people grow and understand others. It is an incredible opportunity to impact people's lives in these ongoing ways,” says Dr. van Anders. “And I see the impacts of our work when people feel like they have a better understanding of how, when, and why to measure gender/sexuality in their own research, or how to understand the larger landscape of gender/sexual diversity.”

Learn more about Dr. van Anders and her ongoing research.