Originally from Washington State, USA, I graduated from the Washington State University Honors College in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in Animal Sciences. I developed a strong interest in reproductive behavior during my undergraduate studies, particularly in regards to mate selection and parent-offspring conflict. I was fortunate enough to investigate these topics in-depth from 2013 to 2014 at the University of Cambridge where I conducted my MPhil research on inbreeding avoidance in burying beetles (Nicrophorus vespilloides). My research suggested that polyandrous mating and mating with cousins could potentially offset the negative impacts of inbreeding depression by increasing genetic diversity. After receiving my MPhil in Zoology from the University of Cambridge, I became interested in transferring my newfound knowledge of mate selection from beetles to mammals, so I began my DPhil in Zoology at the University of Oxford by researching mate selection in European badgers (Meles meles) with Dr Christina Buesching and Professor David Macdonald in 2016.

Tanesha completed her DPhil in 2020.