The Department of Public Health Sciences (DPHS) welcomes Dr. Christian Dye as an Assistant Professor of Environmental Health. He is a Native Hawaiian biomedical researcher, with a passion for understanding and reforming health inequities and disparities in Indigenous communities.
Dr. Dye received his PhD in Molecular Biosciences and Bioengineering from UH Mānoa in 2020. He recently completed his Postdoctoral Research Fellowship in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health, where he utilized epigenetic information to characterize the association between environmental exposures and cardiometabolic diseases.
Over the past decade, Dr. Dye’s research has focused on the molecular interface between social and environmental determinants and cardiometabolic health in various Indigenous communities. Specifically, he leverages broad immune cell and cell-type specific epigenomics and other molecular omics layers to investigate how extrinsic influences become biologically embedded to contribute to health disparities in Native Hawaiians and American Indians.
His work draws on data from several major Indigenous and multiethnic cohorts, including the Hawaiʻi Epigenomics Early Diabetes Cohort, known as HI-SEED; the Multiethnic Cohort Study; the Strong Heart Study; and the Strong Heart Family Study. Through these collaborations, his research has identified early biomarkers and molecular pathways that underlie type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease risk. By identifying biological changes that may occur before disease develops, this work can help create a foundation for targeted public health interventions.
His expertise aligns seamlessly with UH Mānoa’s mission as a Native Hawaiian Place of Learning and DPHS’s dedicated focus on health equity. “While my methods are rooted in complex molecular data, the ultimate goal of my work is to address the roots of health disparities that disproportionately impact Indigenous populations,” said Dr. Dye. “I see it as my kuleana to translate these scientific insights into meaningful, data-driven strategies that directly support and protect the well-being of our lāhui and ʻohana here in Hawaiʻi.”
At DPHS, Dr. Dye hopes to build upon this research by expanding the department’s capacity in environmental health. His long-term aspiration is to help build the foundational research infrastructure necessary to establish a dedicated environmental health segment within the department. While this infrastructure would support environmental health studies, Dr. Dye envisions it as a collaborative platform that could serve researchers across multiple disciplines. He hopes to work alongside colleagues throughout DPHS and UH Mānoa to address complex public health challenges and expand the university’s capacity to advance health equity throughout the region.
Student mentorship will also be central to his work. Dr. Dye looks forward to creating opportunities for UH Mānoa students to participate in laboratory research, strengthen their skills in molecular data analysis, and lead projects related to environmental and Indigenous health.
“As a Native Hawaiian, returning home to join the DPHS ʻohana is a profound privilege and the realization of a lifelong goal to serve my community,” he said. “Like my predecessors, my work is guided by aloha ʻāina, a dedication to stewarding this place I call home, its environment, and its people.”
He added, “I am incredibly excited to look toward the future, collaborating with colleagues and students to build sustainable, health-centered solutions for our communities.”