Caroline Hiuko Karugu

ABOUT Caroline Hiuko Karugu

Caroline H. Karugu is a Biostatistician with over seven years of experience applying advanced statistical and mathematical modeling to public health research. She currently works within the Chronic Diseases Management (CDM) Unit under the Health and Well-being Theme. She is a PhD Fellow in Epidemiology and Public Health at Amsterdam UMC, University of Amsterdam. Her research focuses on understanding food environments as key drivers of nutrition-related non-communicable diseases (NCDs), with particular emphasis on their health and economic impacts. She provides statistical and analytical support across multidisciplinary projects within the CDM unit aimed at strengthening evidence for chronic disease prevention, control, and policy action in sub-Saharan Africa.

She holds a BSc in Mathematical Sciences with IT (Statistics) from Maseno University and an MSc in Mathematical Sciences (Biostatistics) from the University of Cape Coast, in affiliation with the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), Ghana. Before her current role, she served as a Research Scientist – Biostatistician at the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI), where she focused on cancer epidemiology within the Kenya National Cancer Registry under the Center for Clinical Research.

Caroline is passionate about advancing public health through research that supports the development of evidence-based policies and the effective management of chronic diseases in sub-Saharan Africa.

Beyond her research, Caroline is committed to mentorship, youth engagement, and science advocacy. She received the Mastercard Foundation Scholarship to pursue her Master’s degree, an opportunity that strengthened her passion for inclusive education and leadership. She later served as a youth leader on the Youth Committee of the Mastercard Foundation Africa Health Collaborative, where she helped shape youth-led health initiatives and championed STEM outreach programs for students. She has co-authored several peer-reviewed publications on food environments, diabetes care and management in low-resource settings, and cancer epidemiology.