Katherine Saxton

Dr. Katherine Saxton is an Associate Professor jointly appointed in the Department of Biology and Public Health program at Santa Clara University's College of Arts and Sciences. Her research investigates how social environments become biologically embedded to affect health trajectories, combining social epidemiology and stress biology approaches.

Education includes:

• Ph.D. from UC Berkeley (2010)
• MPH from UC Berkeley (2006)
• BA from Brown University (2002)

Research examines how social determinants of health influence biological systems, particularly inflammatory/metabolic processes and stress responses. Focus areas include developmental origins of health disparities, environmental influences on resilience/vulnerability, and biological mechanisms linking experiences to health outcomes. Current projects analyze stress embodiment across the lifespan and interventions to mitigate adversity effects.

Publications demonstrate strong focus on health disparities, particularly in vulnerable populations. Recent work examines homelessness mortality patterns, racial inequities in periviable births, and multifactorial discrimination. Methodological approaches range from rodent models of food insecurity to cohort analyses of structural determinants.

Teaches courses including PHSC-1 (Human Health & Disease), PHSC-100 (Epidemiology), and BIOL-119 (Biology of Stress), integrating biological and social perspectives on health.