Alex Alvergne
My research focuses on the evolutionary ecology of women's health. I use theoretical frameworks from evolutionary biology to understand how female physiological and behavioral traits vary according to environmental, social and cultural contexts.
As a researcher in human evolutionary ecology, I propose an innovative approach to rethinking notions of "normality" and "pathology" (in the sense of Canguilhem, 1943) in the field of women's health. My research shows that many physiological variations, often medicalized as dysfunctions, may in fact be adaptive responses to specific environments.
My recent research focuses on:
- The impact of vaccination and infection on menstrual cycles
- Ecological and physiological determinants of contraceptive side effects
- The role of cultural transmission in the evolution of reproductive norms
I'm currently working on two questions:
- What are the developmental origins of endometriosis (EnDOHAD)? in collaboration with Montpellier University Hospital (Dr Noémie Ranisavljevic) and Simon Fraser University (Bernard Crespi), funded by the Endometriosis Research Foundation.
- What are the social-ecological determinants of menstrual health variation in Occitanie (ANR C-HEALTH project) in collaboration with Montpellier University Hospital (Dr Noémie RANISAVLJEVIC).
For more information on my scientific articles, see my Google Scholar page.
Can long Covid and vaccination really affect women's menstrual cycles and fertility?
Long COVID disrupts menstruation and vice versa
Long Covid linked to heavier periods and risk of iron deficiency
Long covid may be making your periods longer and heavier / New Scientist 16 sept 2025
The potential bidirectional relationship between long COVID and menstruation
Social clustering of preference for female genital mutilation/cutting in south-central Ethiopia
Menstrual cycle length changes following vaccination against influenza alone or with COVID-19
Environment more crucial than genes in risk of early death, study suggests
Low haemoglobin in arduous seasons is associated with reduced chance of ovulation among women living in the Bolivian altiplano
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- Alexandra Alvergne, Charlotte Faurie, Michel Raymond. Differential facial resemblance of young children to their parents: who do children look like more?. Evolution and Human Behavior, 2007, 28, pp.135-144. ⟨10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2006.08.008⟩. ⟨halsde-00186499⟩
- Charlotte Faurie, Alexandra Alvergne, Sébastien Bonenfant, Marcel Goldberg, Serge Hercberg, et al.. Handedness and reproductive success in two large cohorts of French adults. Evolution and Human Behavior, 2006, 27, pp.457-472. ⟨10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2006.04.001⟩. ⟨halsde-00184676⟩
Documents retrieved from the HAL open archive 
