Nestled in the shallow shores of the Brazilian coast is a flaming-red aquatic sponge known for its ability to cause severe pain upon contact. Though the fire sponge is vital to marine ecosystems because of its role in nutrient cycling and controlling algal blooms, BYU students and faculty are more interested in its genome, which could hold the secret to a new mechanism for cancer and malaria treatment.

Dr. Jonathon Hill, a cell biology and physiology professor, was eager to explore the complexities of the fire sponges cytotoxin, which kills tissue on the cellular level. To study the sponges distinctive molecular abilities through RNA sequencing, he launched an international collaboration that united students and faculty from two different academic institutions: BYU and the Universidade Federal da Bahia (UFBA), a public university in Salvador, Brazil. The Lord is always interested in truth and understanding, Hill states. And Hes always interested in ways that we can build unity and connection.

The research teams goal was to sequence and assemble the fire sponge genome to discover potential anticancer and antimicrobial compounds and to unravel the evolutionary genomic adaptations preserved within one of the animal kingdoms oldest lineages.

Each university held pieces of the puzzle, but it wasnt until they began working together that the project was able to flourish. In Brazil, marine biology professor Emilio Lanna works with his team to understand and document the behavior of the fire sponge, a species native to his country, and to collect samples for genomic testing. In the United States, Hill uses genomics to unravel the intricacies of the fire sponges toxin and its relevant chemical synthesis pathways that could be used for future medications. By bringing our unique skill sets together we can do something that we could not do on our own, Hill says with a smile. His experience serving a mission in Brazil equipped him with an understanding of the culture and language that made this collaboration possible.

Funded by a Fulbright Scholarship, Hill conducted research at UFBA and taught a class there on RNA sequencing to share the techniques his research team was utilizing for this project. Wanting to make the class content available to even more students, Hill worked alongside Jouber Calixto dos Santos (PhD 26, CELL) and several other BYU students who had also served missions in Brazil to translate his RNA sequencing course into Portuguese. They also created an R programming tutorial to help students with statistical analysis, which allowed them to share their expertise with Brazilian students and work together to analyze RNA sequencing data. This shared data builds the foundation for future studies on chemical synthesis pathways, evolution, and even climate change. Our goal with this collaboration, notes Hill, was to uncover as many ways as we could to use our unique gifts of light to bless lives.

Hills course significantly impacted the Brazilian students enrolled and opened their eyes to many potential avenues for using the techniques they learned. Carine Belau de Castro Martins (PhD 29, CELL) was fascinated by Hills class at UFBA, which led her to apply to BYU for her PhD. All of the things he taught us about were things that I wanted to learn and apply in my future academic work, Belau shares. Now a graduate student at BYU, she works closely with Hill and Lanna on this project.

So many aspects of this project have culminated together to help us build bridges, explains Hill. Not only did this collaboration allow BYU and UFBA students to conduct research together and form lasting connections, but it also provided opportunities for international outreach and using foreign language skills.

Hill would never have guessed that a collaboration like this could make such a difference in so many peoples lives. The Lord knows your path even when you dont, he admits. Hes grateful that he followed the impression he received to make connections with faculty in Brazil to conduct research.

Thanks to Hill and his teams efforts to meaningfully connect with UFBA, the future of the fire sponge research project is bright. I think if Hill keeps feeding this collaboration, it will grow bigger and maybe even expand to other universities to build even more connections, says Belau.

Sweat drips down your face as you start your final lap. The pain in your muscles is intense but in a good waylike youre being stretched and molded into someone stronger. The feeling is something youre used to, thanks to months of training. Step after step, you keep pushing, your mental self-discipline propelling you forward despite the fatigue. And then it happens. You cross the finish line, and the euphoric rush that washes over you is like nothing else youve experienced. You did it. You mastered your body and persevered through the pain.

That feeling is so compelling that some athletes cant give it up, competing well into their eighties and nineties. It is this select group of exercise enthusiasts who take part in the annual Huntsman World Senior Games (HWSG) in St. George, Utah. The participants have worked so hard to be here. They dont let their age tell them that they cant compete anymore, says Olivia Gneiting (MS 25, NDFS), a recent BYU graduate student who participated in the Department of Exercise Sciences internship at the games.

These athletes are prime examples of exercise and wellness, demonstrating the positive impacts of using physical activity as preventive medicine. But the competition isnt just for elite athletes. Its open to everyone age fifty and over and features more than forty different events for each skill level, resulting in tens of thousands of participants from around the globe competing in sports like softball, archery, swimming, square dancing, and golf, to name a few.

Students and faculty from the BYU Department of Exercise Sciences interact with and serve the athletes by conducting more than fifteen life-saving screenings in a variety of categories including nutrition, visual acuity, cognitive health, pulmonary function, and oral and skin cancer.

During the games a team of sixty to eighty BYU students spends nearly 2,000 hours over two weeks conducting approximately 8,000 screenings to help seniors understand their health risk status, empowering them to take the needed next steps to improve their overall well-being.

Students are trained in advance to perform each screening and rotate from station to station throughout the day. These screenings give students an opportunity to apply what they are learning in class to real-world situations and make connections with people from around the globe as they explain results to the athletes and share practical tips to improve their health. Its really cool to see the students give fitness and health and wellness advice, says Dr.Ron Hager, BYU exercise sciences professor and HWSG internship coordinator. They are an excellent example of BYUs motto: enter to learn, go forth to serve.

Once, while conducting a carotid artery ultrasound screening for one participant, a student found something unsettling. After the student consulted with Hager and his research collaborator Dr. Cane, a cardiologist from the University of California, San Francisco, it became clear that the participant had 90 percent or more occlusion in both arteries in his neck, meaning they were almost entirely filled with plaque, and he was extremely likely to experience a stroke at any time. Cane shared this news with the participant and recommended that he head home straight away to see his primary care doctor and get a referral to a vascular specialist.

The next year at the games, this same participant returned. At the carotid artery ultrasound screening station, he shared his experience. Thanks to the ultrasound images they had provided him, he was able to meet with a specialist and was immediately scheduled for a bilateral coronary endarterectomy surgery to remove the plaque, preventing what easily could have been a life-threatening stroke. With sincere gratitude, he thanked Hager and his student team, shaking their hands.

Though not every screening reveals such serious results, these tests are always helpful to the athletes. Each screening provides an opportunity for the students to serve an individual one by one as Christ did, focusing on helping them feel seen and ready to take the needed next steps to improve the trajectory of their health. Many students who have served as full-time missionaries were also able to speak to participants from other countries in their native language.

Participating in the HWSG internship is an eye-opening experience for students. They come to the games with this perception of what it means to get old, Hager shares. Their experience has been seeing older people in nursing homes or memory care facilities in their sixties or seventies. They rarely see people live into their nineties. Then they see an 86-year-old man do a 17-minute plank with perfect form without even breaking a sweat and a 76-year-old swimmer do a 27-inch vertical jump. Witnessing these feats helps students learn about health and the joy that good health brings to life. It has changed my perception about getting old and has served as a motivator for me to take care of my body while I am young, said one student in the internship exit survey. The HWSG gives students a chance to see a different way to live, resulting in a paradigm shift in their understanding about the importance of exercise in their lives.

Making physical activity a priority throughout life can have a profound impact on longevity with an increased quality of life and a decreased likelihood of developing serious chronic conditions. When people recognize how much taking care of your body impacts your mental, physical, and spiritual well-being, thats when your life takes a full 180, explains Callie Floyd (Dance and Gerontology 25), another student intern. You start realizing your full potential and what youre capable of.

Not only do the screenings benefit the participants but they also help students and faculty collect valuable data used to conduct interdisciplinary research and complete thesis and dissertation projects.

Serving athletes at the HWSG also helps students see Gods hand in their lives and increase their faith. I really believe that as we strive to take care of our bodies, whether were running or lifting weights, it shows God that we are grateful for our bodies, says Bryce Black (EXSC 25).

Whether youre twenty-nine or seventy-nine, one thing is certain: its never too late to start pursuing your health goals. The HWSG internship provides an opportunity for students to share their light through service and receive light in return from the athletes, whose example of hard work and dedication to healthy and active living is truly inspiring.

Families are the foundational unit of society in which an individuals identity, behaviors, and habits are shaped. The lasting impact of the family unit spans generations, highlighting the importance of implementing healthy and positive family practices. At BYUs Brain, Family, and Health (BFH) Lab, public health professor Dr. Ali Crandall and her team research how family life education can strengthen mental, physical, and emotional health across generations.

To explore these intergenerational connections, student researchers analyzed survey data from three generations of families and created a series of educational modules designed to strengthen bonds, address sensitive issues, and break harmful cycles. This initiative guides participants toward greater health literacy and generational well-being.

Project participants first completed a survey to indicate their interest in various health education topics. Using the results, the BFH Lab finalized a list of focus areas, which included supporting family members who face mental health issues, fostering positive experiences to combat trauma, navigating technology use in the home, communicating about reproductive health, and strengthening connections across generations and distance. Video modules were then uploaded onto a Facebook group populated by the participating families. To evaluate the effectiveness of the videos, participants completed surveys both before and after viewing the modules.

Though the BFH Lab is still processing results for publication, Crandall notes that participants reported improvements in knowledge after watching the modules. As they view these modules, I hope families realize that theyre not alone in their struggles, Crandall says. Sometimes even small things can help them grow individually and as a family and can even strengthen the communities around them.

Student researchers felt a powerful connection with the project. The research really resonated with me, explains Emma Alexander (PWS 27), who came from a single-parent home. Hayley Poffenberger (MS 25, PH), a recent graduate from the integrated BS/MPH program, found the experience profoundly meaningful. They both gained important technical skills while conducting this research. They took initiative, Crandall says. Though they were figuratively thrown into the deep end of the pool and had to figure out how to do it, they used their creativity to go the extra mile and make successful modules. Their willingness to learn and to try new things not only advanced the project but also helped them become better scientists.

While Crandalls lab studies project data, the researchers never lost sight of the fact that behind every number is a real familys story. Alexander felt this deeply when she reviewed participant survey responses. They really stuck with me, she says. One student shared how hard it was to stay connected with a busy single parent, and it reminded me that these are real lives were hoping to help. For Crandalls lab, those reminders transform statistics into scholarly service. In strengthening family bonds, the researchers partner with God to bring light into the world. God has a huge hand in this work, because these are His children, says Alexander.

When parents are healthier their kids are more likely to have healthier family outcomes, Poffenberger explains. If we can improve one generation, then it has the ability to improve other generations as well. These intergenerational effects highlight how even a single shift in communication can spark long-term change and impact future generations.

Driven by this intergenerational perspective, the lab prioritizes seeing the whole picture when creating health initiatives. If we want to improve the health of an individual, Poffenberger emphasizes, we need to look at the bigger picturenot just that person but also who theyre around. It is so important to have that family focus. As the researchers in the BFH Lab continue to shed light on the importance of health knowledge transference between generations, they illuminate a path forward that makes a brighter future possible for generations to come.

Thomas Edison devoted ten years and all of his money to developing the nickel-alkaline storage battery at a time when he was almost penniless. Through that period of time, his record and film production was supporting the storage battery effort. Then one night the terrifying cry of fire echoed through the film plant. Spontaneous combustion had ignited some chemicals. Within moments all of the packing compounds, celluloid for records, film, and other flammable goods had gone up with a roar. Fire companies from eight towns arrived, but the fire and heat were so intense and the water pressure so low that the fire hoses had no effect. Edison was sixty-seven years oldno age to begin anew. His son Charles was frantic, wondering if he were safe, if his spirits were broken, and how he would handle a crisis such as this at his age. Charles saw his father running toward him. He spoke first.

He said, Wheres your mother? Go get her. Tell her to get her friends. Theyll never see another fire like this as long as they live!

At 5:30 the next morning, with the fire barely under control, he called his employees together and announced, Were rebuilding. One man was told to lease all the machine shops in the area, another to obtain a wrecking crane from the Erie Railroad Company. Then, almost as an afterthought, he added, Oh, by the way. Anybody know where we can get some money?

Virtually everything you now recognize as a Thomas Edison contribution to your life came

that disaster. Remember, Trouble has no necessary connection with discouragementdiscouragement has a germ of its own.

If you are trying hard and living right and things still seem burdensome and difficult, take heart. Others have walked that way before you.

In the gospel of Jesus Christ, you have help from both sides of the veil, and you must never forget that. When disappointment and discouragement strikeand they willyou remember and never forget that if our eyes could be opened, we would see horses and chariots of fire as far as the eye can see riding at reckless speed to come to our protection. They will always be there, these armies of heaven, in defense of Abrahams seed.

After watching a news story about homelessness as a child, Dr. Rickelle Richards made a promise to herself: when she grew up, she would become successful and build homes for those in need. Now a professor in BYUs Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science, Richards honors that promisenot with bricks and mortar but through research and advocacy. Sometimes people who need a voice dont get a voice, says Richards. To be that person who can do this research and be a voice to improve things is a really rewarding experience. Her work sheds light on challenges faced by underserved communities, offering practical solutions and hope where it is needed most.

When a grant opportunity arose through the Community Foundation of Utah, Richards saw a chance to expand her work with individuals experiencing homelessness. Richards and her colleague Dr. James LeCheminant, an expert in wellness program development, collaborated with Utah State University (USU) Extensiona program that offers research-based resources to support Utah individuals, families, and communities as they transition to permanent housing. Together, they started formulating the project. I saw a way to do some good, a way to affect a group of people that are hard to research, LeCheminant recalls, reflecting on his decision to get involved. With funding secured, Richards and her team took their community nutrition efforts a step further by providing in-depth education and support to residents in transitional housing, sharing knowledge and encouraging residents on their path to stability.

Before launching the intervention, Richards and her team from BYU and USU Extension conducted surveys and interviews to assess residents health, habits, and access to essential resources. This helped the team tailor the program to the specific needs of transitional housing residents and reflect the realities of the community. Sometimes environmental policies prevent residents from being able to make healthy choices, Richards explains. If we can modify that in a way that is reasonable within the structure where they are at, then hopefully that can lead to positive health outcomes.

To create lasting change, Richards and her team launched a wellness intervention that incorporated the results theyd collected to provide better nutrition and physical activity education to Provo residents in transitional housing. In partnership with USU Extension and the Food and Care Coalition, BYU students and faculty delivered hands-on education aimed at helping residents develop healthier habits. These efforts empowered participants in their preparation for permanent housing.

With a research focus on community nutrition in low-income populations, Richards and her team played a pivotal role in shaping the initiative. Her strong community connections enabled students to collaborate with leaders like Brent Crane, executive director of the Food and Care Coalition. It was Crane who invited Richards and USU Extension to partner together to deliver nutrition education classes through the Coalition. Over the course of the eight-week program, the team taught lessons on nutrition and physical activity using the adapted version of the SNAP-Ed curriculum. Following the course, they also collected follow-up data to evaluate changes and measure the programs impact.

Recognizing that residents have limited access to traditional grocery stores, Richards and her team introduced strategies for purchasing nutritious foods at nearby convenience and dollar stores. The meal planning lesson was revised from a month-long framework to a more practical one-week plan, accommodating shared storage spaces. Additionally, microwave-friendly recipe demonstrations using dollar store ingredients were added to address the minimal cooking equipment available.

BYU student interns helped facilitate the classes, giving students valuable hands-on experience while equipping residents with practical tools for healthier living. For Kyle Lyman (PWS 26), the experience was transformative. After meeting Richards through a class presentation, Lyman joined the project and quickly began gaining valuable insights that extended far beyond the classroom. Everyone has a place in the community, he reflects, recalling how the experience deepened his understanding of compassion. It taught him that a persons story cannot be judged by appearances alone and that genuine connection begins with empathy.

The transitional housing project provided BYU students and faculty a meaningful opportunity to serve and witness the real-world impact of their efforts. For Callie Millward (MS 24, NDFS), the project reinforced her belief that health and nutrition should be accessible to everyone. She emphasized that while there is no perfect approach, small steps can make some pretty big changes in peoples lives. Through her involvement, Millward discovered that building relationships is central, not only to community health but also to faith. Theres no better way to get to know our heavenly parents than by getting to know their kids, she shares. Connecting with residents on a personal level deepened her understanding of both Deity and those around her, strengthening her sense of purpose and compassion.

As students shared their experiences with transitional housing residents, Richards was reminded of her own early encounters with the homeless community. Hearing the students have that same experience reminded me of what I experienced before and how my vision was opened to thinking about compassion, she explains. Similarly, for LeCheminant, watching the students grow was deeply rewarding. He believes they gained a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by this population. That perspective creates a more grateful attitude, and I definitely saw that with our students, he shares.

Looking ahead, Richards and her team hope to expand the program to other nonprofit organizations across the country. By sharing the student-developed model with transitional housing facilities nationwide, they aim to broaden the reach of their workbringing knowledge, compassion, and hope to more communities in need.

Do you think well be able to see? I whispered to Jessica as we watched the nurses and other hospital staff busily preparing the operating room. Jessica and I were interns assigned to watch this surgery, having traveled with eighteen other students to Greece to observe medical procedures and shadow doctors. Im not sure, Jessica responded. But I think I can kind of see from here. For many of us, this trip to Greece started as a chance to explore a beautiful country and dip our toes into the world of medicine. But in that operating room something shifted. Once the surgery began, we werent just visitors anymore. We were witnesses to the weight and wonder of what it truly means to care for another human being.

I was pleasantly surprised to see that the doctors let their personalities and beliefs flow through their work. Even as the head surgeon operated, he quietly sang a traditional folk song to himself, a common practice among many of the doctors we shadowed. Besides music, faith was another essential tenet of the Greek identity. Pictures of Jesus Christ lined the walls of the hospital. I was moved by how devoted and sincere these medical professionals were to display their faith in the places where it was needed most.

We watched as the surgeons crowded around the operating table, working to make a difficult incision through the rib cage of the patient. Both of us were barely over five feet tall, so seeing past the throng of medical staff was challenging.

Then an unexpected voice called to us, Here, come this way. Jessica and I turned and found a surprising sight: the anesthesiologist inviting us to come to his station at the head of the table. We were astonished as he asked our names and then proceeded to break down the surgery for us as it happened. Standing next to him, we had a perfect view. The doctor expertly narrated as the operating team extracted a portion of a saphenous vein that would later be grafted to save the patients life. The anesthesiologists part of the operation relied heavily on the measurements and readings from the machines around us, and he explained to us what each reading meant.

Suddenly he paused his narration, went to a side room, and returned with a short, wide stool. To my complete shock, he placed the stool at the base of the table, by the patients head, and told us to take a look. I stepped onto the stool and was filled with awe as I looked down directly at the patients heart. The cardiopulmonary bypass machine, developed by President RussellM. Nelson, stilled the heart so surgeons could sew a portion of the saphenous vein onto it, thereby saving the patients life via coronary artery bypass surgery. Moved by the kindness of the anesthesiologist and by the miracle of a broken heart being mended before me, I struggled to hold back my tears.

As the surgeons stitched up the patient at the end of the surgery, the anesthesiologist pulled Jessica and me aside. He looked at us with the type of sincerity and encouragement that every student hopes to find in a mentor. I can see it in you both; you are going to help a lot of people, he said softly. Doctors make mistakes when they dont take time to truly care for their patients. That is something that Hippocrates taught. I can tell you understand that and that you will be excellent doctors.

Something stirred inside me as he spoke. This man took time to teach and inspire two interns during a surgery, breaking down a language barrier with unmistakable kindness and professional mentorship. Although I had not expected to be so profoundly changed by watching open-heart surgery and listening to the words of an anesthesiologist, the impact of this experience has lingered. It reminds me that the light of the Savior can shine from anyone in the most unexpected moments, silencing the distractions of a busy world and reconnecting us with our divine nature.

Our opportunities and gifts may vary widely, but it is our calling to use those gifts to heal broken hearts and inspire Gods children to do good. When we trust in Himand the divine potential within ourselveswe become instruments of healing and hope.

This issue of our

magazine is the second installment celebrating BYUs 150th anniversary. As we feature our four remaining academic units, we draw your attention to how light gained in classrooms, laboratories, and in the field can radiate in our communities and across the world.

For 150 years, BYU has prepared students to not only excel professionally but to also bless Gods children. The stories in this issue offer beautiful evidence that life science students and faculty fulfill every part of this mission. We see it in researchers strengthening families across generations through practical, faith-informed public health education. We see it in the international collaboration between Dr. Jonathon Hill and colleagues in Brazil, where scientific discovery and shared faith are building bridges across languages and cultures. We see it in the devoted students and faculty who conduct thousands of health screenings for senior athletes, offering life-saving insights. We feel it in a students quiet moment in a Greek operating room, discovering that Christlike service shines across cultures and borders. And we see it in efforts to empower residents in transitional housing with tools for healthier living and renewed hope.

As we conclude this 150th anniversary celebration, we reaffirm our commitment to follow Him, the Light of the World, whose truth and love illuminate all we do.

Warm regards,

Laura C. Bridgewater