News Test
data-content-type="article"
Compassion Across Continents: Grace Brown
When Grace Brown learned about an opportunity to gain clinical work experience in Cambodia through BYU’s chapter of VAW Global Health Alliances, she immediately jumped on board. Little did she know how transformative the trip would be.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Versatility of Super Shoes: Jared Steele’s Award-Winning Research
Jared Steele's innovative super shoe research at BYU led him to faith and discoveries that will benefit many lives.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Lillien Jones’ Wildlife and Conservation Adventure in Southern Africa
Lillien Jones had the trip of a lifetime in Africa studying animals in their natural habitat and learning about environmental conservation efforts.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Biotechnology Entrepreneur: Jordan Moore
Jordan Moore's BioME diagnostic innovation identifies types and quantities of bacteria in a person’s digestive tract and is set to revolutionize the gastrointestinal health industry.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
PWS Students Triumph at the National Collegiate Landscape Competition
BYU hosted the National Collegiate Landscape Management Competition and made their mark by winning the overall national champion award for the ninth time.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU’s Range Management Team Wins Big at Competition
After winning the state-wide contest for the Range Management Competition, the BYU team won first place in the International Undergraduate Exam and won the Trail Boss Award for the third year in a row.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Randy Larsen Appointed New Chair of The Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences
BYU College of Life Sciences Dean Laura Bridgewater announces Randy Larsen's appointment as the new chair of the Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, effective July 1, 2024.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Walking with the Smiths
Plant and Wildlife Sciences students and faculty had the opportunity to go to Nauvoo and make their mark by curating a plan to restore the grounds of Jospeh Smith's Mansion House.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU Wins First Place at Regional IFSTA College Bowl
BYU students competed against six other universities in the IFSTA Pacific Northwest area regional competition and won first place.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
The Strong Youth Conference: Teaching the Science Behind Sport
The Strong Youth Conference brought together experts to teach on youth sports topics. "We want to make youth sports better for kids," Seeley says.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Dustin Williams Named Olympic Athletic Trainer
Dustin Williams, instructor in the Exercise Sciences Department and BYU cross country and track and field athletic trainer, has recently been named co-head athletic trainer for Team USA in the Paris Olympics.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Visiting Columbia Professor Lectures On Sleep Health
Dr. Marie-Pierre St-Onge visited BYU to teach students about how sleeping more than seven hours can add five years to your life, and regularly sleeping less increases your risk of chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Women in Life Sciences Celebrate Their Journeys
Dr. Maurine Cobabe encouraged attendees of the annual Women in Life Sciences dinner to be intentional and diligent in their chosen paths, while being open to help from those around them.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Nature's Best Hope: Changing Biodiversity One Yard At a Time
Doug Tallamy, co-founder of Homegrown National Park, shared a message of hope and action with BYU students. He said by changing the way we landscape, we can be nature's best hope.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Bridging Cultures and Battling Diseases: A Student's Thai Odyssey
After seeing the hardships experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic in Thailand, Curtis Hoffman was determined to help. He never realized the life-changing opportunities he would have while there.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Rolling with the Beats: Sebastian Valencia Amores
Sebastian Valencia Amores learned how to adapt to change and flourish in new environments while engineering heart tissue at BYU.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
PH Honored Graduate: Parker Carlquist’s Experiential Learning Expeditions
Parker Carlquist eagerly participated in several of BYU's inspiring learning opportunities, traveling to places like Europe and Washington, D.C. These experiences opened his eyes to all the different possibilities in public health and politics.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
EXSC Honored Graduate: Anne Shull's Journey of Self-Discovery
Anne Shull used to stress about getting everything done perfectly. As professors guided her to reframe her college expectations, she started taking better care of her body and spirit.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
PWS Honored Graduate: Alexandra Olson and The Humbling Power of Nature
After years of passionate study, Alexandra Olson was awestruck by the fjords and volcanoes she saw abroad. Her love for the planet intensified, and she rededicated herself to conservation.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Breaking Down Genetics to Build Humanity: Kate Jaggi
Kate Jaggi made a discovery she never imagined and it ignited a fire in her to continue conducting plant genetics research.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
NDFS Honored Graduate: Meghan Crowther’s Academic Journey to Medicine
When Meghan Crowther chose to study nutritional science over all her other interests she never realized she'd discover a passion for research.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
CELL Honored Graduate: Jacob Wengler’s Slam Dunk Undergraduate Experience
Wengler doesn’t just slam dunk on the court as a member of BYU’s Dunk Team, he’s also slam dunked on the academic court as a premed student studying cellular biology.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
NEURO Honored Graduate: How Amos Avila’s Faith Made All the Difference
Before coming to BYU, Avila felt like “just one guy from South America,” a “no-one" just trying to find a better opportunity. But that changed during his time at the Y.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BIO Honored Graduate: David Kobe Serving Others At Home and Abroad
From freshwater fish to malaria, BYU's biology program has helped David Kobe develop a passion for biology, giving him the boost he needed to confidently apply to medical school.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
MMBIO Honored Graduate: How Epigenetics Shaped Aaron Bohn
After someone close to Aaron Bohn was diagnosed with a genetic disease, he needed to know how to help. Little did he know he would get hooked on genetics.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Assisting Marine Conservation Efforts in Tropical Pacific Islands: Tavailau Segi
Tavailau Segi wanted to return home to Samoa to do sediment runoff research, but the pandemic changed his plans for the better.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Dissection, Dancing, and Deity: Annie Smedley
Annie Smedley is closing out her master's degree with a jeté. Her hard-won skill to ask better questions helped her note a pattern in a literature review, which evolved into an interdisciplinary project studying ballet dancers and their injuries.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Taking Public Health Out of The Classroom: Oluwadamilola Obalana
Oluwandamilola Obalana was on track to be a medical professional—until she realized she wanted to prevent people from getting sick instead of treating them. Now she researches maternal and child health and leads on the Utah Society for Public Health Education Board.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Discovering Truth About Addiction and Our Brains: Joakim Ronstroem
Joakim Ronstroem's love for discovering truth has helped him become a prolific researcher who is shedding light on how addiction works in the brain.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Dr. Emily Patten: From Classroom to Commissioner
Dr. Emily Patten recently received a prestigious position of influence within the field of dietetics. It all started sitting in a BYU classroom years ago.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
How Food Waste Inspired PrithiviRaj Jegannathan
When Prithiviraj Jegannathan learned that 1/3 of global food production goes to waste, he had to be a part of the solution.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Pushing the Boundaries of Science and Self: Brandon Lopez
Brandon Lopez's master's research on the HIV virus is part of a global battle to combat HIV and AIDS. Yet enthusiastically mentoring undergraduates and advocating for his fellow students has been just as important to his BYU experience.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU’s First Biotech Career Fair Spurs Student Networking
The College of Life Sciences held a biotechnology career fair with the BYU Chapter of BioHive Utah, drawing one of the largest crowds in the Career and Experiential Learning Center’s history. Students networked with from some of Utah’s fastest-growing biotech firms.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
MMBIO CURA Winner Researches a New Technique to Fight Cancer
Drawn to help those suffering from chronic illness, Joshua Bennett (MMBIO) is focusing his research on making antibodies that mark cancer cells for macrophages and neutrophils to attack.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Communicating Research Relevance: The Three Minute Thesis Competition 2024
Graduate students from the College of Life Sciences went head to head in the College's Three Minute Thesis Competition. Winning thesis presentation topics included SuperShoe technology for clinical care, using a zebrafish brain structure in order to better understand autism in the brain, and improving the way we study diabetes.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Joshua Wright: Preserving Hearts and Strengthening Bones
One premed student's Boston internships open his eyes to a plethora of possibilities in medicine.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Greece Study Abroad: Exploring Medicine and Refining Faith
A study abroad in Greece taught one premed student the value of commitment to patients and to God.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Student Strives to Improve Quality of Life in Nepal, Starting with Her Own
A public health student went to Nepal to make a change; she didn’t know her own heart would be first on the list.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Translating the Art of Medicine
Maggie Scribner (PH ‘23), a passionate PA in training, conducted an award winning study as an undergraduate. The study highlights barriers to the use of professional medical interpretation services for Spanish speakers.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Exploring the Mind: Brynlee Cardall’s Literature Review on the Connection Between Depression and Addiction
Brynlee Cardall (NEURO ’25) recently discovered a potential relationship between addiction and depression and wrote a literature review that was featured in the most recent issue of Chiasm, BYU Neuroscience’s undergraduate research journal.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Support and a Bite for First-Generation College Students
The College of Life Sciences hosted a luncheon for first-generation college students in November. University and College Resources were present for students to learn more about. Check out the resources for yourself.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
From Classroom to Culture: Zach Eliason’s Berlin Internship
Working with an international team at Zayt Bioscience in Berlin, Germany, Zach Eliason (BIO ’23) used yeast microbes to produce palm oil alternatives.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Evolution Education: The Power of a Role Model
Religion and evolution can be touchy subjects and we are often having to be careful about the assertions we make about the two. People may struggle to reconcile the two and this is the problem Kenny Harrington (Bio ‘24) tackled in his CURA research. Harrington took first place at the Fall 2023 College Undergraduate Research Awards (CURAs). His research explored how students increase their acceptance of the theory of evolution based on their scientific reasoning skills.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Faith, Determination, and Resilience: Earlene Durrant’s 2023 Honored Alumni Lecture
Seventh grade Earlene Durrant (Physical Education EdD '75) was determined to be a physical education teacher at BYU. Little did she know that she would transform the department.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Finding Your Place: Life Sciences Student Council
The College of Life Sciences Student Council gives advice on how to find your place in the college. They share how they personally are working to improve day-to-day life for every student.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Dr. Jeffery Schachterle: Fieldwork First
Meet Dr. Jeffrey Schachterle, a new assistant professor of microbiology & molecular biology researching plant pathology.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
A More-Than-Lucky Day at the 2023 CURAs
From bridging language barriers in medicine to finding better grass for Utah’s dry climate, dozens of students presented their innovative research on Friday, October 13.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
The Agar Art Competition: Linking Science and Art
Participants from the BYU community used multicolored bacteria to create masterpieces at the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology’s (MMBIO) Agar Art Competition on Tuesday, October 10 with the theme of “Microbiology in Space.”
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU Range Management Team Thrives at Utah Society for Range Management Meeting
The College of Life Sciences Range Management Team took first place in the Undergraduate Range Management Exam (URME) and the plant identification competition at the Utah Society for Range Management (USRM) meeting.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Of Mice and Mentors: Zach Valentine's Research at Duke
When Zach Valentine (NEURO ’25) went on a premedical internship at Duke University, he gained skills that have transformed his career.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Led by Inspiration: 2023 GE Professorship Recipient Rickelle Richards
Rickelle Richards, Ph.D., MPH, RDN knows the places the Lord guides us aren’t always the places we expect. Each day at Brigham Young University, Richards teaches large and small groups of students about the principles of nutrition. From general education classes to complex high-level courses, Richards embraces the challenge of teaching students with a wide variety of backgrounds and knowledge bases.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Neuroscience Club Welcomes Dr. Bryan Winn
Neuroradiologist Dr. Bryan Winn spoke to the BYU Neuroscience Club about his career.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
"God is Involved": Faith and Science Seminar 2023
The auditorium seats were filled with students eager to hear the words of Dr. Ryan Cordner, microbiology and molecular biology associate professor, and Dr. Tim Jenkins, cell biology and physiology associate professor. Recipients of the College of Life Sciences Spiritually Strengthening Award, both professors spoke on how their faith guided their career and life paths.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Karen Della Corte: Scientist of Faith
The College of Life Sciences is honored to welcome Dr. Karen Della Corte as a new assistant professor in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science. Della Corte’s research focuses on the role of the diet—particularly carbohydrate quality—in risk disease development. With her experience in epidemiological research, Della Corte is excited to expand students’ understanding of how healthy dietary patterns can help with chronic disease prevention.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Knowing and Seeing: Hands-On Medical in Ghana
Partnering with the nonprofit Nurturing Nations, Maia Bingham (BIO ’24) had the opportunity to join biology professor Mark Belk’s travel group to Ghana to treat children for malaria and parasites in medical clinics and schools.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Dr. Jared Barrott: A Prepared Mind and Curing Cancer
Meet Dr. Jared Barrott, a new professor of Cell Biology and Physiology who tests treatment options for sarcoma cancers.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Dr. Seth Taylor: Making Crucial Connections
Meet Seth Taylor, a new assistant professor of cell biology and physiology studying how and why neurons make connections with each other.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Dr. Rachel Wood: Exploring Wetland Wonders
Meet Dr. Rachel Wood, a new assistant professor of biology researching aquatic ecosystems.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Dr. John Sproul: Unearth the Unknown
Meet John Sproul, a new assistant professor of biology studying genes and phylogenetics.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Making Mentorship A Living Reality
Biology PhD candidate Justina (Tina) Tavana was recently named a Human Genetics Scholar by the American Society of Human Genetics (ASHG). The ASHG is comprised of 8,000 members with an interest in human genetics. Tavana was inducted as a member due to her contributions to health research in understudied populations.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Dr. Jake Sorensen: Pursuing Health and Healing
Meet Jake Sorensen, a new assistant professor of exercise sciences working to understand aging, health, and healing.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Dr. Amber Gonda: Illuminating Cancer Research at BYU
Meet Amber Gonda, a new assistant professor of cell biology and physiology and an innovative cancer researcher.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Saving Plants From Salty Soil
Alfalfa is a major cash crop and significant food source for cattle, horses, chickens, turkey, and sheep across the western United States. According to the United States Department of Agriculture, 40.8 million tons of alfalfa were harvested in 2022. But alfalfa, among other abundant crops, is extremely susceptible to the salty soil brought on by Utah’s dry climate and low precipitation.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Dr. Shintaro Pang: Balancing Life's Flavors and Unveiling the Secrets of Food Science
Meet Shintaro Pang, a new associate professor of food science at BYU. He shares his background, current research projects, and advice for food science students.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Strengthening Faith in God's Design
Students filed into Dr. Tim Jenkins’s classroom just in time for their regular weekly lecture. But this class period was unlike others, as Dr. Jenkins had encouraged his students to invite family and friends to participate in a discussion about science and religion. Dr. Jenkins explained that at a university like BYU, it’s important to study the correlation between the two subjects, as avoiding their relationship will only create stumbling blocks in one’s testimony.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Immense Proteogenomic Dataset Provides New Resource For Pan-Cancer Analysis
A proteogenomic dataset that was organized with the leadership of BYU's Dr. Sam Payne provides a new and accessible research for pan-cancer analysis. The dataset was published in Cancer Cell and will be an invaluable resource for cancer research and treatment.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Life Sciences Poster Competition: Winter 2023
The Harold B. Lee Library played host for this year’s College of Life Sciences poster competition. Presenters, friends, family, and a panel of judges made the turnout so successful that it was hard to hear the student presenters over all the excited chatter. Each contestant stood next to their poster, ready to give a taste of their research to anyone who wanted to stop and listen.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Life Sciences Announces Scott Weber as the New Microbiology & Molecular Biology Chair
College of Life Sciences Dean Laura Bridgewater announces the appointment of Scott Weber as the new chair of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology, effective July 1, 2023. Weber currently serves as the associate director for the Simmons Center for Cancer Research.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Climate Change and Dietary Decisions: Lori Spruance Named Fulbright Scholar
Dr. Lori Spruance, BYU associate professor of public health, is a 2023–2024 Fulbright Scholar. She will travel to Australia to research how dietary changes to school lunches may affect climate change.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
First Life Sciences Graduate Student Council
The BYU College of Life Sciences has launched its first graduate student council. The 14 students come from both PhD and master's programs and represent the college's departments and centers. Their goal is to bring graduate students together and help them build a community.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Michael Brown Appointed as New Chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology
BYU College of Life Sciences Dean Laura Bridgewater announces the appointment of Michael Brown as the new chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology, effective June 1.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU Tops SRM International Meeting
BYU PWS students placed among top performers at the Society for Range Management's International Annual Meeting held in early 2023. The team as a whole placed first in the URME test, competing against 22 other schools.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Unlocking the Secrets of Silk Gene Evolution
For thousands of years, the silkworm has cornered the market on silk production for textiles. However, convergent evolution may be spinning a new thread of opportunity for caddisflies and other arthropods. New research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science (PNAS) utilizes high-quality long-read sequencing to uncover the hidden variation within silk gene evolution.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Honored Graduate: Connor Alder
Neuroscience major Connor Alder has had amazing opportunities to help his research throughout his time at BYU, including going to Africa to help babies with a premature eye disease.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Honored Graduate: Wendell Loh
Wendell Loh, a food science major from Singapore, shares his some of his favorite experiences at BYU.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Honored Graduate: Caitlin Silva
From youth disability advocate to crisis counselor and research leader, Caitlin Silva (PWS '23) has learned to see the bigger picture, challenge expectations, and expand her limits beyond what she thinks is possible.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Honored Grad: Maggie Briggs
Founded in her passion to help people, Maggie Briggs (PH ’23) is pursuing her dream to become a physician assistant. After graduating from BYU’s public health program, she will start at the University of Utah’s PA program this summer.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Honored Graduate: Beth Heninger
Beth Heninger (MMBIO ’23) is passionate about music and microbiology. She has loved growing both her knowledge and her testimony while studying at BYU.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Changing the World with 1 Million Conversations about Environmental Reverence and Stewardship
Twenty-five students from various BYU colleges are campaigning to reach a million conversations about the climate and environment using Y Talk, a website where students, staff, friends, and faculty can find resources and log their discussions.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Honored Graduate: Jeffrey Clancy
As an honored graduating senior in biology, Jeffrey Clancy shares his advice for other students and his unique experience of graduating in three years and working full time.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU Food Science Team Wins Regional College Bowl Competition
After months of studying and mastering food science subjects, students on BYU’s Food Science College Bowl team took first place in the Pacific West Regional Food Science College Bowl Competition.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Honored Graduate: Rebekah Jones
It would be impossible for many people to maintain the schedule Rebekah Jones (CELL '23) does, but she has learned to rely on her community to accomplish her goals instead of trying to do everything by herself.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Honored Graduate: Katelynn Hales
Katelynn Hales (EXSC '23) finds fulfillment in helping others achieve their health goals. She’s currently interning as a health coach—she works with others to help them lead healthy lifestyles in ways that work for them. "I'm always going to be interested in helping myself and others live a healthy life . . ."
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU Successes Bloom at National Collegiate Landscape Competition
BYU plant and landscape systems students came away from the 2023 National Collegiate Landscape Competition with a second-place team win, networking experiences, and thousands of dollars in scholarships.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Graduate Student Feature: Hillary Wadsworth
Hillary Wadsworth (NEURO ’24) is passionate about helping others achieve their goals. As a graduate student working on research with undergraduates, she understands it's her responsibility to cheer them on in all their endeavors. “One of the biggest motivations with my students is to offer them every opportunity possible," she says. "I want them to have a good experience in the lab, just like I did as an undergraduate."
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Stefany Diaz: My Name is Resilient
When she was three years old, Stefany Diaz (PH ’24) and her family moved from Honduras to Far Rockaway, Queens, New York. Unfortunately, their new home wasn’t ideal—they endured poor sanitation and an unsafe environment. Diaz’s mother, “the rock of my life” as she lovingly refers to her, worked hard to relocate them to better living conditions. She worked as a maid receiving about a hundred dollars a week for her hard work; eventually she was able to move her children to a better situation.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Mayra Hernandez Sanchez: Dietetics and DACA
Mayra Hernandez Sanchez is graduating with her master's in dietetics after overcoming challenges related to being a DACA student and unfulfilled plans. Her research has found a way to help kids eat more vegetables in school lunches.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Shannon Nelson: Jumping Back Into Education After 23 Years
In 1993, Shannon Nelson walked across the stage in the Marriot Center to accept her bachelor’s diploma in exercise science. Shaking hands with the dean, she planned to continue her education and become a physical therapist. Life, however, took her on another journey offering her two decades of growing experiences.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Jessica Lewis: Proteins Changing Her Perspective
Jessica Lewis (MMBIO ’24) uses her passion and curiosity to delve into the building blocks of life itself. As a PhD student, she's learned to appreciate the details, celebrate her relationships, and reflect on the progress she's made as a person and as a scientist.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Annalie Martin: Germinating a Passion for Scientific Education
Annalie Martin (CELL) grew up in a family that encouraged curiosity, propagated the value of education, and cared for the welfare of others. Her parents example instilled in her a desire to study science and use her education to improve the lives of others through research and teaching.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU Professors Honored at Hunting and Conservation Expo
BYU plant and wildlife professors Brock McMillan and Randy Larsen were honored at the 2023 Western Hunting and Conservation Expo in Salt Lake City. Together, they received the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Award for their efforts to research and conserve native wildlife across western North America.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Landon Deru: Prepared through a Unique Path
Landon Deru, an exercise sciences PhD student, is using his unique path through life to mentor students, be the best father he can be, and influence thousands of people through YouTube.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Doreen Cabrera: A Legacy of Science and Outreach
Doreen Cabrera, a biology PhD student, is leaving behind a legacy through her research and through her efforts to mentor students—especially women and minority students.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Exercise Made Just For You
Have you ever walked into a busy gym and immediately felt overwhelmed by the sheer number of machines? How do you know which workout will benefit you the most? It may be tempting to turn around, walk out the door, and head back home to bed. Luckily, with the help of student wellness adjunct professor Jessica Collins, BYU students discovered a more effective way to personalize the prescription of exercise.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Going Great Lengths to Save the Salt Lake
What started as a student research project on the Great Salt Lake turned into a report making national headlines. Karoline Busche worked with thirty-one coauthors to help Utahns know how to protect the Great Salt Lake from disappearing.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Exploring Catharanthine's Effects on Alcohol Addiction
What if the cure to alcohol addiction could be found in a pill? BYU students Nathan Steed (Neuroscience '23) and Aubrey Moedl (Neuroscience '23) presented their research on treating alcohol addiction at the College Undergraduate Research Awards.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Students Inspire at Elementary Science Fair
BYU students from across majors attended a science fair at a Spanish Fork elementary school, where exercise science professor Matt Seeley brought BYU students to serve as judges and consultants to kids’ projects.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Opening Doors: Juliette Ball, BYU’s 2023 Student Employee of the Year
Many titles come to mind when describing Juliette Ball, but the most important one to her is learner. “Most sticky situations I find myself in are a result of forgetting my call to learn—from my experiences, from God, and from the wonderful people in my life,” she says. “Regardless of any other status I may gain and lose over the course of my life, I hope I always remember to learn.”
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Promoting brain health requires more than reducing seizures
Epilepsy, a neurological disorder involving seizures, is most prevalent among those 70 and older. Public health professor Evan Thacker and his colleagues researched cognitive decline among individuals with epilepsy and a vascular risk factor in order to improve brain health for those suffering with epilepsy.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Brick by brick, breath by breath
Nepali brick kiln workers fire and make bricks for twelve hours a day, breathing in crystalline silica that scars their lungs. BYU students Esther Erickson and Mariah Taylor used travel grants given by generous donors to learn more about the air the kiln workers breathe and how it affects their lungs.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
New Student-led Exhibits Open at Life Science Museum
Students from life sciences and fine arts collaborate to address the climate and COVID-19 in two new engaging exhibits.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Maintaining Molokai: Data Collection and Reef Restoration
BYU biology students collect data on local vegetation while researching coral reef restoration on the Hawaiian island of Molokai.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Winners of the 2022 Life Sciences Photo Contest
Congratulations to the winners of the Life Sciences photo contest! Winners were chosen in two categories, Inspiring Learning and Artistic Merit. Read their stories behind the photos below.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Finding a Cure for Chikungunya
The virus, Chikungunya, which means "that which bends up," has a cure coming for it after student Madison Gray's research and findings.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
License and plant identification, please: BYU comes out on top (again)
BYU students took the lead in individual and team competition at Utah's URME test for 2022, preparing to go to the international competition in 2023.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Preventing Muscle Atrophy? Just Add Heat
When he was in fifth grade, Boston Andersen (‘22) was diagnosed with Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, a condition that prevents blood from reaching the hip bone, causing the bone to die. As a kid who enjoyed being physically active, having a disease that kept him on crutches for a year was devastating.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU students advocate for youth at SOPHE summit in Washington, DC
Fourteen BYU students had the opportunity to interact with federal legislators to advocate for youth mental health at Washington DC's annual SOPHE conference
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
The Science Behind Smaller Things
“Growing up, I was always interested in the science behind the smaller things that cause disease and illness.” —Hunter Cobbley
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Three BYU student finalists at sports medicine conference
Three undergraduate students from BYU's exercise science program were selected as finalists in the Undergraduate Student Research Competition at the annual meeting of the Southwest Region of the American College of Sports Medicine.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Cougars in the Chocolate Factory
BYU food science majors Carolyn Chen, Shayden Smith, Janece Nufer, and Erin Caswell put their wisdom to work when they interned at Halloren—the oldest chocolate factory in Germany. They were able to develop a new flavor combination that is approved for production.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Curiosity on Display at the 2022 CURA Poster Presentations
Over seventy Life Sciences students hung their research posters in the BYU Conference Center on Thursday, November 10, creating a maze of well-dressed scientists presenting developing discoveries before judges. All projects were partially funded by a College Undergraduate Research Award (CURA), grant money donated to innovative undergraduate students working with faculty members. Every year judges have the challenge of selecting only three presentations in each department to receive additional cash prizes, and every year the College of Life Sciences comes prepared with their knowledge and passion, ready to create ripples of impact in the scientific community.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Coming to Know Christ Through Medicine
After spending a significant amount of time in hospitals addressing her firstborn's health challenges, Shanna Crow (‘22) decided she wanted to work in medicine. She further cultivated her passion for medical lab work as an intern at St. Mary's Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Shared Roots and Survival in the Quaking Aspen
Water flows through the soft soil and the aspen trees’ roots soak up every last drop. But the lone aspen cut off from its family’s interconnected root system receives less water, and ultimately, may suffer fatal consequences.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Taking Flight In Genomics
Andy VanDomelen (‘22) developed an interest in photography as a teenager. When he was on a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, his father borrowed his camera, and the two bonded through an interest in bird photography. This interest morphed into an intrigue in different bird species, which ultimately led VanDomelen to study bacteria samples from turkeys in microbiology and molecular biology professor David Erickson’s lab.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Microscopic and Deadly Organisms In a Bustling City
Thea Ward (‘23) came to BYU with a strong desire to understand how her education could have a broader impact on the world. She was intrigued when the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology offered a study abroad to Gwalior, India, to study the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
From the Classroom to Gwalior: The Hunt For Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Madison Duffy's research of the antibiotic-resistant bacteria that resides in India’s rivers went hand-in-hand with one of the country's greatest wonders: the Ganges River. Legend says that anyone who bathes in the Ganges will be cured of any disease due to the bacteria phages that reside in the river.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Cultivating Connection Across the Globe: Studying bacteria in the rivers of India
Fascinated by microbiology from the time she was in high school, Abby Johnson (‘22) knew she couldn’t pass up the opportunity to research antibiotic-resistant bacteria in Gwalior, India. Johnson spent a month collecting samples of water containing antibiotic-bacteria.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
New Associate Deans Announced in the College of Life Sciences
Dean Laura Bridgewater announced the appointment of three new associate deans. Loreen Allphin of the Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Benjamin Crookston of the Department of Public Health, and Michael Stark of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology will assume their college administrative responsibilities on October 1, 2022.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU Food Science Students Win $10K in Product Development Competition
BYU undergraduate food science students win the $10,000 grand prize at the 2022 Idaho Milk Processor's Association Conference for their dairy product, "Cream Cheese clouds."
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Neuroscience student wins 3 Minute Thesis Competition
The brain is an incredible machine, and for Michael Von Guten ('24), it was the star of his entry to the 3 Minute Thesis competition. As a neuroscience graduate student, Von Guten studies the effects LSD could have in curing mental health issues, and how multiple drugs used at once can harm the brain.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Solving the Issue of Dried, Dead Tissue
The miracles of anatomy are evident to students who have the privilege of working with cadavers. However, there are also many challenges, including how quickly the tissue dries. Cell biology student Ayden Olsen (‘23) and recent cell biology graduate Craig Reeves (‘22) were curious if they could find a solution. Through a CURA grant, the two set out on a hydration quest.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Scholarships Save
Senior Biology student Ellecyn Brimley traveled to Vietnam on a study abroad thanks to the many scholarships provided by the BYU Kennedy Center, including the Benjamin A. Gilman scholarship. She shares how she got the scholarship, and how other students can too.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU Researchers’ Fight to Preserve Permafrost and Restore Earth’s Climate
Permafrost is the layer of permanently frozen soil, sediment, and rock in many northern and mountainous regions. Permafrost regions contain most of the Earth’s remaining wilderness, and the ecosystem supports more than 1.5 billion people globally. However, permafrost is in trouble. It’s billions of years old—and it’s melting. A team of BYU researchers is raising a voice of warning and working to stop the meltdown.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Trauma in Training: Is Trauma Inherited?
As the old adage goes, the family is the basic unit of society. Characteristics and habits are taught and trained through parenting, morals and perspectives are shaped, and even legacies are formed. Generations cycle through; it is simply how human beings go on. However, research shows that more than just morals and the way you load a dishwasher is transferred from parent to child—parents often carry their childhood traumas into parenthood too.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Mexico Meets Medical Mitigation
Diabetes affects one in six adults in Mexico, with a higher rate in women than men. Mexico is also the most obese country in the world. To fight the diabetes epidemic, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints designed a manual with Mexico City officials to help citizens fight for their health.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Deep Dive into Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria
Studying antibiotic-resistant bacteria during a study abroad in Gwalior, India, gave Sierra Mellor (‘24) a deep dive into microbiology. While her knowledge of microbiology expanded, so did her understanding of Indian culture.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Getting Diabetics Back on their Feet
68% of all amputations are attributable to diabetes. Andrew Hillier researched the effectiveness of foot braces designed to help people heal from diabetes-related ulcers and prevent amputation.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Fish Are Friends, and Other Species Similarities
Erik Johnson (‘22) wins a CURA award for his research exploring possible connections between individual personality traits and placement in social hierarchies.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
3 Practices to Improve your Mental Health, According to a BYU Public Health Professor
Say something, know something and be something to help improve mental health.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Taking the Abstract out of Addiction
Calvin Smith (‘22), a recently graduated neuroscience student, witnessed first-hand as the negative effects of drug addiction adversely altered the personalities and mental health of childhood friends. Motivated to explore the brain-altering implications of drug use, Smith joined the Edwards neuroplasticity lab to better understand what was happening.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Moving Agriculture Upward for Urban Residents
Larvae squirm into an urban resident’s bare foot. Soon, a rash appears, followed by a loss of appetite, diarrhea, abdominal pain, and a fever. One in seven individuals from the global community encounter these undesirable guests. The larvae-sourced disease (also called hookworm or roundworm) plagues over 1.5 billion individuals across the planet—and those living in urban-packed environments are the most at-risk.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
One Student's Fight for Cleaner Air and Water
When Isabella Errigo (‘20) first entered BYU’s environmental science program, she didn’t know her journey would lead to winning the prestigious Fulbright scholarship—or to having the Utah legislative body cite her research in an effort to prevent pollution.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Dean Bridgewater Brings Her Broad-Campus Perspective to the College
After serving as a BYU associate academic vice president, Dean Laura Bridgewater returns to the College of Life Sciences. She looks forward to assisting the college community maintain a well-integrated combination of scientific excellence and gospel light that lifts and blesses others.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Gluten-Free and Growing: The Oat Genome’s Global Impact
With its long stem and small, cocoon-like structures, the oat holds complicated grains that supplement diets and, in some countries, support ecosystems and economies. But the oat doesn’t just provide prosperity to millions of people; it also holds the key to a wealth of health benefits without triggering allergies compared to other cereals such as wheat or rye.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
The Search for Sperm: Fighting Male Infertility in the Jenkins Men's Reproductive Health Lab
Emerging research from the Jenkins lab takes steps forward in developing tools to help those struggling with infertility.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Liking a New Species of Lichen
Life Sciences students discover a new lichen species in Glen Canyon. As DNA sequencing didn’t match the green lichen, Jacob Henrie ('22) and biology professor Steve Leavitt concluded that this scaly symbiotic fungus was, in fact, a brand-new species of lichen.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Advocate for women in STEM receives Life Sciences Distinguished Service Award
BYU alumna Suzanne Hyland received a Distinguished Service Award at the 2022 College of Life Sciences convocation ceremony in recognition of her service to female life science students. Hyland was instrumental in establishing the peer consulting program and the annual She is a Scientist event.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
From Mishaps to Medicine
Seth Evans (‘22) toyed with the idea of going to medical school but didn’t want to commit without a good reason. Then, Evans broke his femur during a high school football game—throwing him headfirst into the world of medicine, and giving him the reason to pursue the medical school that he was searching for.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Coding a Future in Biology
Inspired by his journey with mental illness and teachers who set strong examples of research, bioinformatics student Evan Marshman (‘22) plans to help those around him improve, mentally and physically.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Making a Career Out of a Question
Connor Littlefield was raised in a family that was unafraid to ask questions and find answers. Two such questions led him to graduate with a degree in nutritional science: “What does it really mean to ‘burn’ a calorie? And what metabolic processes are keeping your body alive and healthy?”
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Foundations that Shape Futures
From helping children to young mothers to Yemen immigrants, Amy Hayward loves assisting her patients to overcome their bodies' shortcomings. Graduating from an exercise science major, Hayward plans on attending the University of Utah's physical therapy program in June. She can't wait to see how her career will move forward in future clinics.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Finding the Order in Disorders
There are few things that make Bailey Calder (‘22) happier than when he looks at a glowing zebrafish brain. In fact, brain research excites him so much that he won’t take a break after graduating—a week after he graduates, Calder will begin his Ph.D. program. Calder's ultimate goal is to help communities gain greater understanding and compassion toward those with neurological disorders.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Win at the buzzer – NDFS students take first place at regional college bowl competition
Bzzzz! “Anosmia!” shouted BYU dietetics major Maggie Horlacher (‘23). The announcer had barely finished reading the question about the loss of the ability to detect different smells.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Finding her path with neuroscience
Anna Everett says the passion is all in scientific research. After growing up with a mom struggling with an autoimmune disease, she noticed the benefits and disadvantages the medical field provided. She knew this was an area she wanted to explore, and she sees research as the broadest way to make a difference.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Different By Design
This past March, BYU took first at the 2022 National Collegiate Landscape Competition (NCLC), and one of the winners was Abby Kjar (‘22), who competed in interior landscape design. Working in landscape design has also allowed Kjar to foster meaningful connections in unexpected ways.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Mental Health, COVID-19 Stressors and Family Health Attitudes
Two years into the pandemic, research finds that COVID stressors and family health are associated with growing mental health rates in the United States
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU wins fourth consecutive championship at National Collegiate Landscape Competition
BYU Plant & Landscape Systems students won big at the 2022 National Collegiate Landscape Competition. After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a team of 37 students competed in a variety of landscape-related events at North Carolina State University.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Laura Fletcher: Discoveries in Energy Allocation
Laura Fletcher (‘22) thought she wanted to study dead fossils and bird evolution when she started the biodiversity and conservation major. However, after participating in engaging research opportunities she discovered a passion for studying energy-use similarities throughout all living organisms.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Operation Outbreak: Educating our community through pandemic simulations
Operation Outbreak, a pandemic simulation experience, is back at BYU for the second year in a row. Operation Outbreak participants use an app to simulate a pandemic outburst similar to COVID-19.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
A pickle party: A closer look at reptile embalming
A group of herpetology enthusiasts drive through the winding canyon roads of Utah, dry, sandy mountains lining the highway. Nestled in the backseats and trunks of cars, herpetologists bring the reptilian or amphibious carcasses they find in the desert to an annual gathering at the end of the year, ominously called a pickle party.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Life Science Students Win Big at CURA Awards
The Garden Court in BYU’s Wilkinson Center bustled with people on November 11, 2021, as rows of hung posters displayed the latest scientific findings by BYU Life Science students. The research ranged from the study of social dominance in humans to protein bindings; from standards for emergency and trauma care to insulin secretion.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Microbiology & Molecular Biology welcomes new academic program coordinator
Nancy Morrill recently joined the Microbiology & Molecular Biology department as an academic program coordinator. In this role, she will help Microbiology & Molecular Biology graduate students along their academic path. She is responsible for reviewing graduate student applications, providing academic guidance to students, and assisting with events like the agar art competition.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
International cross-pollination in genome sequencing work
Genome assemblies provide scientists with the genetic map of a plant, animal, or human. Genome sequencing has grown at high speeds in 20 years, yet there is still more to be done. BYU Plant and Wildlife Sciences professor Paul Frandsen collaborated with researchers across the country to assess the last two decades of genome sequencing.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Innovation begets innovation: Student initiative evolves into patented solution
From undergraduate education to patent and biotech startup, cutting-edge research recently published in Nucleic Acids Research from the Hill lab demonstrates how BYU mentorship empowers students to innovate and achieve.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Painting with bacteria: connecting art and science
Students from all across campus had the opportunity to combine their creativity skills with their curiosity for science by painting Agar plates using harmless E. coli bacteria at the semiannual Agar Art Contest sponsored by the College of Life Sciences Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology (MMBIO).
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Cracking the Code on Multiple Sclerosis
It was a splash of ice-cold water in the face. Amy Hernandez’s friend was only seventeen years old and just diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, a disease that deteriorates the body. Hernandez (‘23) was in the second year of her molecular biology degree at BYU. The sudden, early-onset diagnosis prompted hours of research under Hernandez's mentor, microbiology and molecular biology professor Mary Davis, to answer the question: why is early MS onset in ethnic minorities reached at an earlier age than in Caucasian populations?
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Sprouts from the Ashes
Also hailing from Europe, marine biology student and Sheffield, England native Rebekah Stanton (’21) wanted to earn her PhD at BYU but couldn’t find a program that fit her needs. After receiving an unexpected email from plant and wildlife sciences professor Sam St Clair, she packed her bags and joined his research team to study just the opposite of marine biology—they were going to study the desert.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Najla Al-Sonboli, World Health Assembly's Heroine of Health
Women in Science: Al-Sonboli was a pediatrician in Yemen who continued to care for the children while the hospital was under fire during rocket attacks.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Prestigious award given to Plant and Wildlife Sciences professor
The Soil Science Society of America (SSSA) will present its highest recognition to Plant and Wildlife Sciences professor Bryan Hopkins in an annual awards ceremony.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Plant and Wildlife Sciences Department welcomes new professor
The Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences welcomes Dr. April Hulet as a new associate professor.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Men's role in destigmatizing menstruation
Growing up in a family of six sisters, JB Eyring (‘22) has never felt uncomfortable discussing women’s health. With his mentored research, Eyring seeks to understand and break down the stigma surrounding menstruation and women's health, specifically in men.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
A Long Life
On a nature hike at Nevada’s Great Basin National Park during his undergraduate studies, David Burchfield (‘21) came across the oldest living organism measured on the Earth today.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Mentored research student saves the birds
For the past four months, recent BYU graduate Emma Houghton (‘21) has been raising young seabird chicks that are at great risk for extinction in Hawaii.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
An ancestry made of agave
As the sun pours its dry, scorching heat across the Sonoran Desert, a seven-year-old boy in leather sandals follows his papá through a field of pointed agave leaves growing from the ground like bundles of green swords. PWS doctoral student Hector Ortiz revisits his roots to cultivate an alternative crop during times of drought.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Emergency symposium to set the record straight on Utah Lake
At the center of Utah Valley, Utah Lake is one of the largest and most productive freshwater lakes in the western U.S. It is also one of the most misunderstood. Professors from Brigham Young University are joining researchers from universities and organizations across the state to address the lake’s most prevailing issues during a public symposium at Utah Valley University (UVU) on August 4.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
New director of the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum
Dean James Porter, College of Life Sciences, announces the appointment of Dr. Michael Whiting as the new director of the Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum. The appointment is effective August 1, 2021.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Upcoming women in science
Members from the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics, and Food Science are recognized for their contributions to the world of science
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
New graduate program advisor for Plant and Wildlife Sciences
Mariellen Tuckett joins the Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences staff as the new graduate program advisor. Her job responsibilities include tracking students’ progress towards graduation, reviewing dissertations and speeches, organizing the department’s annual research conclave, and serving as a liaison between graduate students and professors.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Wildflowers: The next eco-trend?
Environmental science graduate student Alyssa Brown spends most of her thesis research time in the mountains of Provo canyon, studying wildflowers.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
The most effective way to exercise according to BYU grad student
If you’ve spent a lot of time on BYU’s campus, you’ll know the daunting hike up the Richards Building stairs. The trek never seems to get easier despite the number of times it is walked
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Native Samoan graduate student studies genetic disease in her homelands
Family relationships are the fabric of the Polynesian culture. Grandparents help take care of the young, and in turn, children and grandchildren take care of the elderly. Having grown up in Samoa and Hawaii, graduate biology student Justina Tavana ('23) understands the value of looking out for aging community members, even as the ravaging effects of dementia steal away their close connections and identity.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Public Health Department welcomes new professor
BYU alumnus and Salt Lake City native Erik Nelson joins the BYU Department of Public Health faculty after teaching for five years at Indiana University Bloomington.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
PDBio becomes Cell Biology and Physiology
The Department of Physiology and Developmental Biology (PDBio) is changing its name to the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology (CELL). The faculty hope that renaming the department will not only reflect the students’ learning experience more accurately but will also clarify the department goals toward major selection, graduate student recruitment, and faculty hiring.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
New chair for the Department of Public Health
Dean James P. Porter, College of Life Sciences, announces the appointment of Dr. Josh West as the new chair of the Department of Public Health, effective July 1, 2021. Dean Porter also expresses his appreciation for the current department chair, Dr. Carl Hansen, who assisted in the accreditation of the undergraduate public health program and the revamping of course curriculum.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
College of Life Sciences reappoints two department chairs
BYU College of Life Sciences Dean James P. Porter announces the reappointment of Michael Stark as chair of the Department of Cell Biology and Physiology (formerly, Physiology and Developmental Biology) and Neil Hansen as chair of the Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences. Both reappointments are effective July 1, 2021.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Public Health Students Present at SOPHE Conference on Nighttime Commuting Safety
Research by Public Health graduates Ida Tovar and Alyssa Baer and Dr. Robbie Chaney showed differences in how men and women react to campus environments while walking at night.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Neuroscience student and chemistry TA earns prestigious scholarship
Anna Everett (‘22) grew up watching her mom struggle with an autoimmune disease. Noting how research at biotech companies enabled her mom to get the treatments she needed sparked Everett’s interest in scientific research. “I think I always saw my family struggling with their health, and it made me think a lot about medicine in general,” she says. Everett eventually chose to major in neuroscience, focusing on neurological disorders such as dementia and Alzheimer’s. She also added biophysics as a second major to explore her interest in math.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Using complex data analysis to improve health
Biostatistics graduate Nolan Cole (‘21) recently earned the prestigious Barry Goldwater Scholarship. Cole says it was a complicated process of applications, nominations, and writing to get the scholarship, but he applied because he knew it was important for his PhD work. Cole plans to enroll in a PhD program next fall in biostatistics and biomedical informatics.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU graduate earns fellowship from the University of Minnesota
Clair Wootan (‘21) originally came to BYU to study biology education. As she took more classes, she realized she enjoys conducting research, which led her to pursue an undergraduate degree in biodiversity and conservation. “I’ve always really enjoyed conservation,” she says. “It gave me a lot of opportunities to take really in-depth and specific classes.”
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
New director of Neuroscience Center
Dean James P. Porter, College of Life Sciences, announced the appointment of Professor Jeffrey Edwards as the new director of the Neuroscience Center, effective July 1, 2021. Edwards has held the position of associate director of the Neuroscience Center for six years under the current director Ramona Hopkins.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Studying soil across the globe
Growing up in small, agricultural Terreton, Idaho, prepared Emilee Severe (‘21) to study environmental science and sustainability. She was raised around farmers and irrigation systems and worked for an irrigation company in high school. “I would drive boats up and down streams, and I was always in the canal bank,” she says. Now at BYU, she has the chance to learn the science behind what she saw in the streams.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Cognitive Decline After Epilepsy in Older Adults
A ten-year study reveals that epilepsy increases the risk of cognitive decline in older adults.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Microbiologist takes her studies around the world
Honored Graduating Student: Emma Stucki (MMBio)
With the variety of experiences microbiology major Emma Stucki had at BYU, the one common thread has been shifts in perspective. “I always have enjoyed learning things in school that help me better understand the world around me.”
With the variety of experiences microbiology major Emma Stucki had at BYU, the one common thread has been shifts in perspective. “I always have enjoyed learning things in school that help me better understand the world around me.”
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Making a difference in public health
Honored Graduating Student: Alyssa Baer (HLTH)
Alyssa Baer wanted to study Public Health at Brigham Young University before she even knew she was accepted. The soon-to-be Life Science grad grew up immersed in the healthcare industry.
Alyssa Baer wanted to study Public Health at Brigham Young University before she even knew she was accepted. The soon-to-be Life Science grad grew up immersed in the healthcare industry.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
From student to science teacher
Honored Graduating Student: Amanda Aamodt (BIO)
When BYU student Amanda Aamodt (’21) first saw the required ecology class on her schedule, she wanted to put it off as long as possible.
When BYU student Amanda Aamodt (’21) first saw the required ecology class on her schedule, she wanted to put it off as long as possible.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Majoring in a healthy lifestyle
Honored Graduating Student: Alexis Gardner (NDFS)
Growing up as the sixth of seven kids in her family, Alexis Gardner (‘21) often heard her older sisters talk about diets and health trends. Instead of joining in on the conversation, Gardner did her own research on diet and nutrition.
Growing up as the sixth of seven kids in her family, Alexis Gardner (‘21) often heard her older sisters talk about diets and health trends. Instead of joining in on the conversation, Gardner did her own research on diet and nutrition.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Living the dream as a scientist
Honored Graduating Student: Kristina Cass (PWS)
Graduating from the BYU Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Cass is living her dream as a scientist. She joined the environmental science program because she loves trees.
Graduating from the BYU Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Cass is living her dream as a scientist. She joined the environmental science program because she loves trees.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Passion for progress
Honored Graduating Student: Christina Blackmon (ExSc)
Christina Blackmon’s motto has always been “passion for progress,” even when it hasn’t been easy. As a member of the BYU track team and an honored exercise science student in the College of Life Sciences, it would be easy to overlook the journey that brought Blackmon to where she is today.
Christina Blackmon’s motto has always been “passion for progress,” even when it hasn’t been easy. As a member of the BYU track team and an honored exercise science student in the College of Life Sciences, it would be easy to overlook the journey that brought Blackmon to where she is today.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Standing on the shoulders of giants
Honored Graduating Student: Benton Tullis (PDBio)
When COVID-19 canceled their marathon, Benton and Madeleine Tullis (‘21) decided to run their own. They woke up at 5:30 a.m., made their own medals out of wood, and invited family and friends to cheer them on as they crossed the “finish line” at Utah Lake. Their love of adventure and strong ability to problem-solve will aid them as Benton heads off to medical school in the fall.
When COVID-19 canceled their marathon, Benton and Madeleine Tullis (‘21) decided to run their own. They woke up at 5:30 a.m., made their own medals out of wood, and invited family and friends to cheer them on as they crossed the “finish line” at Utah Lake. Their love of adventure and strong ability to problem-solve will aid them as Benton heads off to medical school in the fall.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Inspiring learning through a pandemic: how the College of Life Sciences took initiative
While COVID-19 disrupts the world, members of the College of Life Sciences continue to find ways to uplift and impact their communities by participating in President Worthen's inspiring learning initiative.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Female Medical School Applicants on the Rise
In 2020, a historic 53.4% of medical school applicants were female. However, applicants from BYU do not reflect the national trend as only 13-15% of all BYU medical school applicants are female. The Association of Future Female Physicians is established to support female students and address the challenges.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
ALZHEIMER’S DISEASE, A DISORDER OF A ‘STARVING BRAIN’
Alzheimer’s disease is a metabolic disorder of the brain, impairing the ability to metabolize glucose while maintaining the ability to metabolize ketones. New research out of BYU substantiates a growing body of evidence indicating a strong correlation between AD and a disrupted metabolic state, where the brain can’t get enough energy.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Simulating Campus's COVID with Operation Outbreak
Curtis Hoffmann, BYU microbiology and molecular biology student, found a way to leverage education to rebuild trust in our public health systems during the pandemic. He stumbled across Operation Outbreak, a pathogen outbreak simulation, and knew he needed to bring it to Utah County and Brigham Young University.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
The Impact of COVID-19 on School Meals
When the pandemic hit and classrooms across the country became virtual, foodservice professionals worked quickly and creatively to continue delivering school meals to every student.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Concern and Convenience: Predictors of COVID Compliance
A recent life sciences study looks at what motivates college students to take precautionary measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Findings indicate that concern and convenience are the two primary predictors for Utah Valley college students.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
A groggy climate giant: subsea permafrost is still waking up after 12,000 years
New research suggests slow but substantial greenhouse gas release from submarine permafrost
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Study shows that consumption of tree nuts can impact fertility
Tim Jenkins worked with a multi-institutional team to research tree nuts’ effects on sperm epigenetic patterns.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
BYU professor participates in a consortium that assembled the largest avian genomic data set to date
Plant and wildlife sciences professor Paul Frandsen is part of a large consortium of people working on bird genomics, with nearly 150 authors assembling the largest genomic data set ever for the world’s avian families. The 363 species’ genomes, including 267 sequenced for the first time, are catalogued in the November 11, 2020, issue of Nature.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
New Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology associate chair
Professor Sandra Hope is appointed as the Microbiology and Molecular Biology Associate Chair.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Air pollution costs Utahns billions annually and shortens life expectancy by two years
New study reveals the cost of air pollution for Utahns’ health and pocketbooks
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Undergraduate research opportunities launch BYU grad to Yale Med
Jacob Mabey authored two research papers as an undergraduate at BYU and coauthored two more before graduating this year. Now he is using his research experience as a first-year student at the Yale School of Medicine. He follows the path of many BYU grads who go on to earn PhDs, something for which BYU ranks No. 5 in the country.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Risk of In-Person Voting per County Evaluated by Public Health Researchers
Public Health researchers have created a map showing risk levels for in-person voting for each county in the country. With that information, voters can make safe and informed decisions in the middle of a pandemic and an election.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Pandemics, Politics, Mental Health, and an Opportunity
Nationwide survey distributed to discover how political perspectives influenced pandemic reactions and how the pandemic affected mental health.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Women in Faith and Science: A Roundtable Discussion
To assist female students as they navigate the connection between a medical profession and religion, the BYU Pre-professional Advisement Center’s hosted “Women of Faith and Medicine: A Round Table Discussion" to explore this intersection of faith and medicine through humility, hope, and hard work.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
What can you do with a life science degree? Ensure food security and clean water for sub-Saharan Africa and Asia
An international palate encourages life science graduate Gretel Tam to have a global impact.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Mentored research prepares student to help with COVID-19 testing
Working in Dr. Paul Frandsen's lab allowed College of Life Sciences student Andrew Sheffield to develop the cross-disciplinary skills needed to contribute during a world-wide pandemic.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
$2.3 million grant to study dragonflies
Professors Seth Bybee and Jamie Jensen will lead a team of researchers in creating a 'tree of life' for the oldest and largest insect to fly on Earth. Research findings will facilitate creating the most complete database for an entire order of insect.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
New Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology Chair
Dean James P. Porter announces the appointment of Joel Griffitts as the new chair of the Department of Microbiology and Molecular Biology effective July 1, 2020.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
College of Life Sciences Alum Receives NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is designed to recognize the efforts of exceptional graduate students, allowing them to make further advances in their field of research. It is a competitive program whose past recipients include Nobel Prize winners. Fellows receive a three-year annual stipend and a cost of education allowance, covering tuition and fees to the institution where the student will be conducting research.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Biology Master's Student Receives NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
When Beka Greenall, a biological science education master’s student in the College of Life Sciences, received an email from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), she was thrilled to read she had been chosen.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Addressing Social Disparities Through Dietetics
Melinda Morco-Sieng, a graduate student in Nutrition, Dietetics, & Food Science focuses on how international students adjust their diet when they come to study in the U.S. “If we can figure out what these students are struggling with,” she says, “then we can help them adjust to life here.”
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Using Technology to Assist in Human Movement
Exercise Science graduate student Spencer Peterson's interest in technology and human movement led him to work with a mechanical engineering team to create an app that could move physical therapy from the clinic into the home.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Promoting Health and Nutrition Through Education
Working with Bountiful Children's Foundation to create and refine a curriculum that helps mothers better nurture their children is one of Public Health graduate student Lexi Sayer's educational highlights.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Climbing Personal and Academic Mountains
Statistically speaking, Biology entomolgy PhD student Gavin Martin, shouldn’t have earned a bachelor’s degree, let alone a master’s degree and a PhD. Climbing personal mountains allowed him to reach new heights in his study of fireflies.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Exploring New Research Avenues For Neural Tube Defects
In addition to making groundbreaking discoveries in embryonic development, Physiology & Developmental Biology graduate student Micah Ross works to build a better community for BYU graduate students.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Plant-Bacteria Symbiosis: A Key Communication for the Global Ecosystem
Microbiology & Molecular Biology PhD student Alex Benedict is focusing on an important environmental process that defines the global nitrogen and carbon cycle and determines the livelihood of global vegetation.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Influencing Environmental Change from Iran to Utah
Plant & Wildlife Sciences PhD student Sara Sayedi wanted to use science to change public policy in her home country of Iran, but the political climate offered her limited options to enter the public policy arena. After learning about the available research opportunities at BYU, she saw a new possibility to influence environmental change.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Living Through History
Life Sciences student shares insights on staying positive in light of COVID-19 and other current challenges. Over the course of the last week, our way of life has changed drastically. From the cancellation of all in-person classes, to the temporary closures of businesses, restaurants, and theaters, to an earthquake acting as an alarm clock, we’ve gone through a lot.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Disaster Response Class Prepares BYU Students to Serve Their Community
To prepare BYU students to assist their communities, the College of Life Sciences offers a public health elective: Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness. The class also shared several ways Utahns can prepare for four types of emergencies right now.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Permafrost Collapse and the Global Ecosystem
Although separated by space and time, our emissions have a great impact on ecosystems across the globe, and those systems are responding. Plant and wildlife sciences professor, Dr. Ben Abbott, has been studying these ecosystem responses and recently published research with Dr. Merritt Turetsky, director of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) at the University of Colorado Boulder, on permafrost collapse in arctic ecosystems.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
National Nutrition Month at BYU: An Appetizing Experience
BYU students are making bite-size changes in their eating and physical activity habits during March for National Nutrition Month. The Student Dietetics Association if offering prizes for those who participate in their nutrition challenge.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Trends and Treatment of Chronic Ankle Instability
Perhaps it happened while playing basketball, executing a perfect arabesque, chasing the dog, or working up a sweat in an aerobics class. Everything was fine—you were going in for the winning basket of the game, you had almost caught Spot—but then you felt your ankle give way, and suddenly everything was not fine.
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
Research Sheds Light on the Affects of Child Temperament on Adult Health
“We are more prone to believe that the children who are quiet and reserved are in need of the most help, but that’s not the case. The kids that are more interactive and externalizing need attention as well, but in a different way.” – Jake Miller
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideByline=false
overrideCardHideDescription=false
overridebuttonBgColor=
overrideButtonText=
overrideTextAlignment=
data-content-type="article"
The Fungus Affecting Potato Crops Across the U.S.
Potatoes are a staple food in the United States. Who doesn’t enjoy warm French fries with just the right amount of salt, a bag of crunchy potato chips, or some creamy mashed potatoes smothered in gravy?
overrideBackgroundColorOrImage=
overrideTextColor=
overrideTextAlignment=
overrideCardHideSection=false
overrideCardHideBy