Saira Justin and her team of three student researchers are starting to prepare for their first summer in the 10-week Summer Research Program at Point Loma Nazarene University.
This summer, Justin and her team will research the usage and efficacy of nutraceuticals — products derived from plants and herbs to be used in disease prevention and management.
Justin was hired by PLNU’s biology department this year and has been interested in science her entire life. With a bachelor’s degree in microbiology, a master’s in healthcare biotechnology and a doctorate in natural sciences focused on cancer, Justin’s diverse educational background has brought her to the research project she will pursue in the coming weeks.
She is interested in researching urogenital cancers — which affect the reproductive system — and cognitive wellbeing — conditions affecting mental health.
In addition to scientific insight, Justin is motivated by her Christian faith to find answers to larger research questions.
“There is a solution for every problem; we just have to search for it,” Justin said. “God made herbs for the service of man, so God has created a cure for everything in the world.”
Justin’s summer research will start with a focus on ovarian cancer, which is an under-researched area of oncology that the team hopes to learn more about through the program.
After meeting the rest of her future research team, Sierra Jensen, a third-year biology major, said she is eager to embark on her first summer with the biology department.
“We have had a few meetings after our first official meeting, and we actually watched the Artemis II space launch together,” Jensen said. “That’s when I knew we were going to be a good team.”
Similarly, Ethan Howard, a second-year biology-chemistry major, said he is excited to work with cell and tissue culture — meaning he will be growing human cells in a laboratory setting this summer. He hopes to use this experience to further his academic career.
“I think it’s really cool that somehow, directly or indirectly, my work could one day lead to a person being better off,” Howard said. “That’s definitely a parallel as to why I want to go into medicine.”
The third member of Justin’s team, Gisselle Martin, a third-year biology major, explains how summer research is a different experience from the laboratories incorporated into the major.
“This is my first time staying in San Diego over the summer, so I might be a little homesick,” Martin said. “But, I am excited to do research and be on a project that’s so new, and actually be part of the design process.”
Although the team is composed of new students to the summer program, Justin is looking forward to working alongside undergraduate students.
“Our team will focus on combination therapy, where we can improve the efficacy of cancer treatment. We are eager to work with fellow researchers in the lab,” Justin said.
Sydney Brammer 
Zoey Peters