Evolutionary medicine
Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been a radical demographic and nutritional transition worldwide characterized by greater food abundance, increased population size, higher fecundity, and lower rates of mortality from infectious disease. The price of economic development is demonstrated by the Epidemiological Transition, where falling rates of infectious disease are replaced by rising rates of chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In addition to other factors such as diet, increased morbidity from chronic diseases is closely associated with a trend toward decreased physical activity levels. But shifting activity patterns present unique challenges for developed and developing nations. How do rapidly urbanizing rural subsistence populations navigate this transition? What is its effect on human activity patterns, physical fitness, and health? These questions are at the core of much of my research.
Since the Industrial Revolution, there has been a radical demographic and nutritional transition worldwide characterized by greater food abundance, increased population size, higher fecundity, and lower rates of mortality from infectious disease. The price of economic development is demonstrated by the Epidemiological Transition, where falling rates of infectious disease are replaced by rising rates of chronic conditions such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. In addition to other factors such as diet, increased morbidity from chronic diseases is closely associated with a trend toward decreased physical activity levels. But shifting activity patterns present unique challenges for developed and developing nations. How do rapidly urbanizing rural subsistence populations navigate this transition? What is its effect on human activity patterns, physical fitness, and health? These questions are at the core of much of my research.
Recent publications from this project include:
Recent publications from this project include:
- Castillo ER, Urlacher SS, Gurven M, Pontzer H. (2018) What kills us and why? Comparing age-specific mortality profiles across human populations. International Society for Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health. abstract
- Castillo ER, Sang MK, Sigei TK, Dingwall HL, Okutoyi P, Ojiambo R, Otárola-Castillo ER, Pitsiladis Y, Lieberman DE. (2016) Physical fitness differences between rural and urban children from western Kenya. American Journal of Human Biology 28(4): 514-523. DOI: 10.1002/ajhb.22822. pdf
- Lieberman DE, Castillo ER, Otárola-Castillo ER, Sang MK, Sigei TK, Ojiambo R, Okutoyi P, Pitsiladis Y. (2015) Variation in foot strike patterns among habitually barefoot and shod runners in Kenya. PLoS ONE 10(7): e0131354. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131354. pdf
- Castillo ER, Lieberman DE. (2015) Lower back pain. Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health 1: 2-3. DOI: 10.1093/emph/eou034. pdf
- Castillo ER, Sang M, Sigei T, Ojiambo R, Pitsiladis Y, Lieberman DE. (2014) Effects of physical activity on sex differences in lumbar lordosis development in rural and urban Kenyan population. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 153 (S58): 92. [poster presentation] abstract