Cathrine Hoyo is an epidemiologist who works to understand the developmental origins of common chronic diseases, such as obesity and certain cancers, that seem to disproportionately affect minorities. Her research suggests that certain genetic traits can be switched on and off by chemicals in the environment, such as smoke or soil toxins, starting in the womb. That means an expectant mother’s living conditions can make a huge difference in the health of her child.
Hoyo’s goal: Inform sound policy. Her work is an important part of NC State’s Center for Human Health and the Environment, which investigates the effects of environmental factors on human health.
Here’s a look around her office in the Toxicology Building:
This classic text informs Hoyo’s work on the molecular side of epidemiology. “If you are really interested in identifying biomarkers,” she says, “you need to understand molecular mechanisms, and this book is very helpful.”This photo, which is several years old, shows Hoyo’s daughter and husband. Hoyo worked at Duke University before coming to NC State and lives in Carrboro.Hoyo was featured in a National Cancer Institute report on mentoring. The piece tells the story of how Hoyo benefited from her mentor and then paid it forward by mentoring a junior faculty member.Hoyo is a member of an institutional review board for FHI360 — a Durham, NC-based organization that conducts clinical trials of HIV treatments globally, including trials in Africa. The ethical issues surrounding these trials are an area of special interest for Hoyo, a native of Zimbabwe. Serving on the board is “what I do in my spare time,” she says.This furry animal was a gift from a colleague, Arnfinn Sei, who works in Norway. The two researchers have collaborated on environmental connections to benign prostatic hyperplasia, a prostate condition commonly known as BPH.
