Janet Bester-meredith

Biography

Education: BA, Pomona College, 1995; MS, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1997; PhD, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 2001. At SPU since 2003. Janet Bester-Meredith joined the faculty at Seattle Pacific University in 2003. Since arriving at SPU, Dr. Bester-Meredith has taught “Human Anatomy and Physiology,” “Animal Behavior,” “Women in Science,” “Ecology,” “General Biology,” “Biology for Non-Majors,” and courses for pre-professional health students. She also is involved in advising pre-health students. Dr. Bester-Meredith’s research focuses on the neuroendocrinology of social behavior in Peromyscus mice. She is especially interested in the neuropeptide arginine vasopressin and its involvement in regulating aggression and parental care. She studies how social experience modifies the behavior of male and female mice and how olfactory and other sensory input shapes the development of the brain and behavior. Dr. Bester-Meredith lives in Seattle with her husband and three children. She is an active member of St. Bridget Parish. In her spare time, she enjoys biking, skiing, and playing word games.

Research Interest

Biological Psychology