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This podcast originally ran on March 26th, 2025

In this episode of the Hotflash inc Podcast, GenX journalist Ann Marie McQueen sits down with Dr Deena Emera, an evolutionary geneticist, senior scientist at the Buck Institute’s Buck Center for Healthy Aging in Women, and author of A Brief History of the Female Body: An Evolutionary Look at How and Why the Female Form Came to Be.

Dr Emera’s research focuses on the genetic basis of reproductive longevity in mammals, and in this fascinating discussion, she breaks down the evolution of menopause, why female bodies age the way they do, and what modern science is uncovering about ovarian health and longevity.

If you’ve ever wondered why menopause exists, how it evolved, and whether science will ever be able to delay or even prevent it, this episode is for you.

Highlights:

Understanding evolutionary biology (it's not boring, promise)
The evolutionary mystery of menopause
What animals do go through menopause?
Why all women didn't used to die at 50 (and what actually happened)
How modern life has changed menopause
Why Dr Emera needs bowhead whale ovaries
Can we really end menopause?
The truth about the Grandmother Hypothesis

Quote:

"Menopause itself isn’t surprising – if you live long enough, you will run out of eggs. What’s unique about humans is that we have such a long post-reproductive life stage. That’s the real mystery we need to solve." – Dr Deena Emera

Where to find Dr Emera:

Instagram: @deenaemera
LinkedIn: Deena Emera
Buy her book: A Brief History of the Female Body – Available on Amazon

The Hotflash inc Podcast is:
One of the Top 60 Menopause Podcasts
In the top 3% percentile on Listen Notes
#1 on Goodpods’ Top 10 Women’s Health Podcasts list

This episode was originally sponsored by Timeline Nutrition. Mitopure supports cellular energy and longevity. Visit https://shop.timeline.com/HOTFLASHINC where you can still grab 20% off with code HOTFLASHINC

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