John Manning

Professor John Manning is honorary research fellow in the department of sport and exercise science.    

 He is best known for his work on digit ratio (or 2D:4D), i.e., the relative length of the index finger (2D) and the ring finger (4D), as a biomarker of prenatal sex steroids. He has pioneered this work by investigating relationships of 2D:4D with various measures of fertility, health, and behaviour. Over the past 20 years, he has published numerous papers and two books that have stimulated digit ratio research in animals and humans.   

 He is also an expert on symmetry and has contributed a number of significant studies in humans and animals, especially on symmetry-performance relationships.