Doctoral Dissertation Research: Local Biologies and the Epidemiologic Paradox

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Scientists have observed an epidemiologic paradox in which some populations have better physiological outcomes than others, despite having lower income and education that normally would predict higher morbidity and mortality. However, there are many complex factors that potentially confound such findings, such as within-group heterogeneity. This doctoral dissertation project will use and expand the theory of local biologies, the idea that human biology is shaped by an individual's context, to examine physiological well-being for genetically similar populations. The research will advance knowledge about the interface of human culture and biology, minimizing the potentially confounding effects of population heterogeneity. The project will support training for students from groups underrepresented in STEM fields, as well as public and community science outreach and public health information based on the project findings. This doctoral dissertation project explores how the physical and sociocultural environment shapes the development of physiologic disorders among Hispanic populations in North America. The project combines a rigorous examination of physiological well-being using biomarkers of cardiometabolic disorders and an ethnographic exploration of the sociocultural and physical surroundings of Purepecha individuals in different areas. The incorporation of standardized instruments to measure acculturation and other variables will permit comparison with similar studies. The research is significant in its focus on an understudied population within the broader Hispanic/Latinx context.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.