Kathryn Hunt

Kathryn Hunt is an American archaeologist and paleopathologist specializing in paleo-oncology, the multidisciplinary study of cancer in human history.

Early life and education Hunt grew up in Anchorage, Alaska. She studied anthropology and classical studies at the Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), graduating in 2011. She then obtained a Master's of Science in paleopathology from Durham University.

Hunt's fascination with archaeology dates back to her childhood in Alaska, where she never missed an episode of National Geographic. Kathryn studied archaeology during her time at PLU. Here, she became interested in Egyptology, which inspired her to sign up on a whim for a dig in Egypt along the Nile Delta. While participating in this dig, she was able to excavate remains of Egyptian royalty from areas surrounding the Valley of the Kings. By researching ancient texts, Hunt has found sources referencing to cancer as an illness by ancient Egyptians. She has even found records of ancient cancer treatments such as pharmacopoeia, surgery, cauterization, and fasting. These texts also listed many different plants used as a remedy to cancer, including spurge, which is similar to a castor bean, and Ecballium elaterium, also known as the squirting cucumber. Finding textual evidence of cancer inspired Hunt to pursue physical evidence of cancer. The Paleo-Oncology Research Organization is working to list evidence of cancer in an online database to aid future paleo-oncologists in diagnosis of cancer in bones. It is also the hope of Hunt and her fellow researchers that this database will aid present and future scientists in their studies on how cancer has changed and evolved through time. She is also an assistant director of the Jucu de Sus Necropolis excavation and field school which she works with alongside Transylvania Bioarchaeology. and was named one of Fast Company's Most Creative People of 2014, one of OZY's Rising Stars, and one of Foreign Policy's Leading Global Thinkers. She has also been featured on Business Insider.