About
Dr. Bernd Riedstra is a Lecturer in the Department of Biology at the University of Groningen's Faculty of Science and Engineering. His research focuses on evolutionary biology, endocrinology, and ecology, with an emphasis on maternal effects, behavioral laterality, and developmental plasticity in animals. He investigates how environmental and hormonal factors influence offspring behavior, physiology, and survival across species such as sticklebacks, birds, and voles.
Key research projects include studying the impact of parental predator exposure on offspring boldness, the role of maternal androgens in embryonic development, and the effects of light exposure on laterality in fish. His work bridges basic and applied research, addressing issues like feather pecking in poultry and the ecological implications of temperature shifts on vole populations.
- Research Themes: Behavioral ecology, developmental endocrinology, maternal effects, laterality evolution, and animal welfare.
- Recent Focus: Yolk androgen dynamics in birds, cognitive biases linked to personality traits, and population-level adaptations to environmental change.
Dr. Riedstra collaborates extensively with international teams and has published widely in journals like Animal Behaviour, Behavioral Ecology, and Journal of Endocrinology. He contributes to both theoretical frameworks in evolutionary biology and practical solutions in applied animal science.
