Dr. Eleanor Cave

Eleanor Cave is a South African biomedical researcher whose work centers on endocrinology, metabolic disease, and molecular mechanisms underpinning cardiometabolic risk. Her scholarship bridges clinical and laboratory science, with a strong focus on type 1 diabetes, vitamin D pathway genetics, and population-specific risk in Black South African communities. Through collaborations with public health and clinical laboratory services, she contributes to context-relevant evidence for disease screening and management.

Her research explores genetic polymorphisms in vitamin D receptor and binding protein genes, ZnT8 autoantibodies, and ENPP-1 variants, clarifying their roles in diabetes susceptibility and kidney function. Additional studies investigate ethnic differences in macrophage scavenger receptor expression and HIV-1 nef polymorphisms linked to endothelial activation, highlighting mechanisms of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular risk in African populations.

A parallel molecular research stream examines tissue non-specific alkaline phosphatase in bone mineralization and intracellular lipid accumulation, revealing its regulatory role in osteogenesis, adipogenesis, and adrenal lipid storage. Recent work on biogenic amine testing patterns within the South African public health system demonstrates engagement with diagnostic optimization. Collectively, these contributions advance understanding of metabolic and vascular disease in underrepresented populations.