Joanna Zyrek
Doctoral student
Lise-Meitner-Gruppe 'BirthRites'
Max-Planck-Institut für evolutionäre Anthropologie
Deutscher Platz 6
04103 Leipzig
E-Mail:
joanna_zyrek@[>>> Please remove the text! <<<]eva.mpg.de
Research Interests
With a background in public health, I became interested in evolutionary perspectives on women's health and well-being, and later, on motherhood. Currently pursuing PhD research, under the supervision of Dr. Heidi Colleran, Dr. Andrzej Galbarczyk, and Dr. Sarah Myers, my focus is on understanding the social determinants of reproduction in rural southern Poland. My primary interests lie in understanding kin and non-kin influences on reproduction, alloparenting, and the moralization of reproductive decision-making. In a broader context, my academic interests extend to life-history theory, social network analysis, cooperative breeding, and cultural evolution. I am a member of the BirthRites Lise Meitner Research Group.
Education
2023-present | PhD Candidate International Max Planck Research School “The Leipzig School of Human Origins” (IMPRS LSHO) Department of Human Behavior, Ecology, and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany |
2020-2022 | MSc in Public Health Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland Erasmus Mundus Master's Degree in Excellence in Public Health, Escuela Andaluza de Salud Pública, Granada, Spain |
2017-2020 | Bachelor’s degree in Public Health Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland University of Copenhagen, Denmark |
Research Experience
2022 | Master thesis: “Social support during pregnancy and the risk of postpartum depression” Supervisor: Dr Andrzej Galbarczyk Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland |
2020 | Bachelor's thesis: “Relationship between women's education and their health and well-being – literature review” Supervisor: Prof Grażyna Jasieńska Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland |
2018-2022 | Research assistant Institute of Public Health, Jagiellonian University Medical College, Kraków, Poland Principal investigator: Prof Grażyna Jasieńska „Developmental programming and physical activity at adulthood in relation to levels of sex steroid hormones in women: implications for breast cancer prevention” (2017/25/B/NZ7/01509) |
Publications
Zyrek, J., Klimek, M., Apanasewicz, A., Ciochoń, A., Danel, D. P., Marcinkowska, U. M., Mijas, M., Ziomkiewicz, A., & Galbarczyk, A. (2024). Social support during pregnancy and the risk of postpartum depression in Polish women: A prospective study. Scientific Reports, 14: 6906. |
Conferences
2024
Żyrek, J., Colleran, H. “Clustered reproductive timing among relatives and non-relatives”
Poster (granted Best Poster Award)
European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association (EHBEA) Conferences, Montpellier, France
2022
Żyrek, J., Klimek, M., Apanasewicz, A., Ciochoń, A., Danel, D. P., Marcinkowska, U. M., Mijas, M., Ziomkiewicz, A., Galbarczyk, A. “Social support during pregnancy and postpartum depression”
Poster
European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association (EHBEA) Conferences, Leipzig, Germany
2021
Żyrek, J., Zalisz, A. M., Galbarczyk, A., Klimek, M., Miłkowska, K., Nenko, I., Jasienska, G. “Is there a relationship between duration of breastfeeding and age at menarche”
Poster
European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association (EHBEA) Conferences, Kraków, Poland
2019
Żyrek, J., Zalisz, A. M., Galbarczyk, A., Klimek, M., Nenko, I., Jasienska, G. “Apolipoprotein E (ApoE) polymorphism and women's reproductive success”
Poster
European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association (EHBEA) Conferences, Toulouse, France
Awards, scholarships, and grants
Best Poster Award for poster “Clustered reproductive timing among relatives and non-relatives” at European Human Behaviour and Evolution Association (EHBEA) Conferences, Montpellier, France