Angie graduated from Gustavus with majors in psychology and biology. Interested in the mind-body connection but not knowing exactly what she wanted to do with her life, Angie worked as a research assistant at the U of M School of Dentistry for a few years. There, she studied strains of bacteria that live in the mouth but sometimes got into the blood stream where they could cause heart problems.
Epidemiology is the study of diseases in populations.
Epidemiologists study rates and patterns of disease occurrence and use this information to identify underlying causes. Angie currently works for the Northern California Cancer Center. Her work focuses on factors that affect recovery and survival in cancer patients. Through interviews with people who have had cancer, she studies factors such as diet, exercise, family history, social networks, and attitudes, which affect patients recoveries. The ultimate goal is to find patterns of living that may improve cancer patients quality of life and improve chances of long-term survival.