My research project: Multi-omics signatures of Healthy vs Unhealthy Lifestyles, and Association with Cancer Related Biomarkers
1. What drew you to pursue the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI)?
I want to gain more nutritional knowledge before starting medical school so I can apply it in my future medical career. I’m also interested in lifestyle medicine. Rather than relying solely on pharmaceuticals, I support using lifestyle changes to address the root causes of diseases.
2. What areas of medicine are you most interested in, and how do they align with your current research?
I’m most interested in primary care or family medicine. I enjoy direct patient contact and building long-term relationships. Since I aspire to be a missionary doctor in underserved areas, I believe primary care medicine is the most useful in regions lacking advanced machines and technologies. Primary care physicians work directly with patients to help them stay healthy, prevent problems before they arise, and treat diseases when they do. They use lifestyle changes as a tool, which directly connects to my research project.
3. What do you believe are the key lifestyle factors that people often overlook when it comes to cancer prevention?
Diet and physical activity.
What you eat shapes your body.
Just 30 minutes of exercise a few times a week brings so much benefit.
4. Is there anything that has influenced your perspective on your research or career goals?
My faith provides a guiding framework for how I approach my work and career goals—serving others with compassion and integrity, reaching the unreachable, and loving the unlovable. These principles align closely with my desire to work in primary care in underserved communities as a missionary doctor. It determines how I interact with people, conduct research, study, play, and plan for the future, including my career, family, and relationships. I aim to treat every single person with love and to perform every task to the best of my ability, all for the glory of Jesus.
