Department of Gender Studies

Dr. Justin Garcia is an evolutionary biologist and sex researcher. He trained under Dr. David Sloan Wilson and conducted a National Institutes of Health postdoctoral research fellowship under former Kinsey Institute Director Dr. Julia Heiman. His research focuses on the evolutionary and biocultural foundations of romantic and sexual relationships across the life course.

A specialist in interdisciplinary collaboration, Garcia’s research draws from and cuts across multiple fields of study. This approach aids his lab's exploration of the relationship context of sexuality and the meaning, expression, and impact of romantic and sexual attitudes and behaviors.

Garcia has a dual faculty appointment with the Kinsey Institute and Indiana University's Department of Gender Studies. He is also adjunct faculty with Richard M. Fairbanks School of Public Health at IUPUI and holds affiliate faculty appointments with the IU Network Science Institute, as well as the Cognitive Science and Human Biology programs at Indiana University Bloomington.

Garcia serves as Scientific Advisor to Match.com. In this role, Garcia lends his expertise to Singles in America (SIA), the online dating company's annual study on the attitudes and behaviors of single people in the United States.