Faculty and Student Research

Inspiring excellence in discovery

Faculty and students engaged in research and innovation

51��’s exceptional faculty in the School of Science, Technology and Health are gifted in their area of expertise and passionate about discovery and innovation. Whether it’s just for a semester or spans multiple years, there are ample opportunities for students to participate in directed research with faculty. Undergraduate students are involved with faculty in all stages of research from initial hypothesis generation to research publication. Each year, dozens of SSTH students participate in poster presentations at local, regional, and national conferences as well as co-authoring peer-reviewed journal articles.

Research in the Basic Sciences
Technological Innovations
Research in Healthcare
Student Research

Research in the Basic Sciences

Douglas Axe, Ph.D.

Rosa Professor of Molecular Biology

Dr. Axe brings an engineering background to studies of molecular biology, enabling him to compare complex biological systems to human-made systems. Through experimental and computational research on genomic stability, he hopes to better understand how quickly harmful mutations accumulate in a population and what factors affect the rate at which mutations accumulate.

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Richard Gunasekera, Ph.D.

Research Professor of Nanomedicine, Biochemistry

Nanomedicine uses tiny biochemical molecules such as nano-emulsified bioactive molecules, and dendrimers to target and kill cancer cells, viruses, and other disease-causing agents. Dr. Gunasekera’s nanomedicine lab is studying how nanotechnology can be used to treat a variety of diseases.

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Hyuna Lee, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biology & Stewart Fellow

Dr. Lee leads the zebrafish research lab, currently investigating Fetal Alcohol Syndrome. The transparency of zebrafish embryos allows in vivo observation of GFP-labeled neurons responding to alcohol exposure. Her lab studies the correlation between alcohol’s observed harm in the developing brain and consequential behavior impairment in adulthood.

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Jessica Lu, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Chemistry

Dr. Lu’s research is broad-based and uses a variety of analytical instrumentation to study the chemical and physical properties of molecules and materials. Projects are relevant to human/environmental health and environmental stewardship, often involving geochemistry, water chemistry, and atmospheric chemistry. Her research investigates the degradation process of pesticides and other harmful substances.

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Kit Ng, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biology, Stewart Fellow

Lipid transport is an essential process to deliver fats throughout the body where they are needed. In some instances, circulating lipids can induce inflammation or be trapped in the blood vessels. Dr. Ng’s research seeks to better understand the transportation and modification of lipids, which can then be used to improve the treatment of atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases.

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Patrick Sun, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biology

Dr. Sun hopes to equip the next generation of environmental stewards that will safeguard our natural resources and the people that depend on those resources. Copepods, a small marine crustacean, are ideal to study how environmental stress effects organisms, for example accelerating aging. Understanding the physiology and genetics involved can help scientists develop effective conservation strategies.

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Behzad Varamini, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Biology
Director Stewart Science Honors Program

Dr. Varamini investigates the molecular mechanisms that drive aging and longevity. His research focuses on the behavior of circadian-controlled metabolic genes, called Sirtuins, in mediating the effects of diet on fruit flies’ (Drosophila melanogaster) lifespan. His goal is to better understand the role of diet and genetics on sleep/activity levels and aging.

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Emily Yang, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Biology

Dr. Yang’s research background is rooted in host-pathogen interactions. She is investigating the synergistic effect of host genes in the innate immune response against viral infections, specifically with regards to the cross-species conservation of antiviral mechanisms and regulation of type I interferon responses by post-translational modifications.

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Technological Innovations

Elaine Wong, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Engineering

Excessive fluoride in water negatively affects over 200 million people in over 35 countries. Dr. Wong is developing a small-scale water treatment system to treat water with excessive fluoride. Other projects include cost-effective methods for on-site testing and treatment of contaminated water to increase access to clean drinking water around the world.

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Genti Buzi, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Robotics and Computer Science
Stewart Fellow

Dr. Buzi’s research interests are in the areas of control theory, systems biology and machine learning. His research aims to understand the underlying principles that govern the behavior of complex systems and apply these principles to system design.

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Shieu-Hong Lin, Ph.D.

Professor, Computer Science

Dr. Lin solves computational problems through novel approaches that result in real-world applications. He recently developed a pattern recognition framework for facilitating text input from people with special needs using a virtual-reality keyboard. Other projects include using AI to generate novel images and software that optimizes cross-country refueling for truck fleets.

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Justin Marks, Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Mathematics

Dr. Marks' current research interests center on designing matrix manifold algorithms to extract useful information from big data sets, such as images of human faces and hyperspectral imagery. Other projects include characterizing preference profiles within the stable marriage problem.

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Research in Health Care

Akiko Kobayashi, Ph.D., MSN, RN

Professor of Nursing

Dr. Kobayashi has done research studies in immune responses in cancer development and in clinical nursing education for novice nursing students. Her current research explores the effects of exercise on perceived stress, burnout and immune functions among nursing students.

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Ji-Yeun Park, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, Public Health

College students’ mental health is an urgent public health concern. The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in significant increases in stress, anxiety, and depression among college students. Dr. Park is currently studying Virtual Reality as an intervention for managing college students’ stress.

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Brent M. Peterson, M.P.H., Ph.D.

Associate Professor, Kinesiology

Dr. Peterson utilizes biomarkers, such as salivary cortisol, to understand the biological effects of psychological phenomena. His research team explores the relationship between perceived stress, cortisol levels, executive functioning, and self-reflection. They are also studying how perceived and biological stress levels effect academic self-efficacy in college students.

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Matt Rouse, SLP.D.

Professor, Communication Sciences and Disorders

Dr. Rouse's specialty is an acquired language disorder called aphasia. He and a group of undergraduate CSD majors have been exploring how Artificial Intelligence (AI) can be used in the assessment and treatment of this condition. A future step may be developing AI-powered software in collaboration with industry to assist Speech-Language Pathologists in the management of aphasia.

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Students engaged in discovery and innovation

October 2024

Stewart Honors Students Participate in Ongoing Research with Professors

51�� students get hands-on research experience and opportunities through RISE program.

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51�� students at 2023 Putnam Competition

April 2024

51�� Students Score in Top 23% of Schools in Prestigious National Math Competition

Six students participated in the 2023 Mathematical Association of America Putnam Competition.

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November 2023

51�� Professors Develop Orphan Gene-Finding Search Engine: De Novo Gene Discoveries

A newly developed search engine makes identifying orphan genes more accessible than ever to life scientists, academics, students and those interested in genetics and the origins of life.

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September 2022

Engineering Students Win Competition for Innovative Designs

51�� undergraduate students took home the top prize in two respective categories of the 2022 make:able 3D printing challenge.

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51�� students presenting award-winning research presentation

July 2022

Nursing and Applied Physics Students Collaborate on Award-Winning Presentation

Hannah Han, nursing major, and Jenna Huseby, applied physics major, presented at the 45th West Coast Biological Sciences Undergraduate Research Conference at Point Loma Nazarene University and were awarded excellence in poster presentation.

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Student working on a computer with calculations on blackboard

June 2022

Computer Science Students Publish and Present Covid-19 Related Research

Computer Science majors Daniel March and Jeston Bond’s research was presented at the 2022 American Control Conference in Atlanta, Georgia.

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May 2022

51�� faculty and student research wins first place for American Association of the Advancement of Sciences award

A cutting-edge discovery made by 51��’s SSTH students and faculty shows that molecular nanomachines can destroy viruses. 51��’s advancement will allow for another way to treat multiple viruses and step toward finding a new way to rid viruses that infect humans by using nanotechnology and the field of nanomedicine, making it less invasive.

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January 2021

51�� Professors’ Research Sheds Light on COVID-19 Modes of Transmission

Early COVID-19 research conducted by 51�� School of Science, Technology and Health professors revealed the virus could be transmitted via aerosols. The CDC affirmed in October the professors Drs. Don Galbadage, Brent Peterson and Richard Gunasekera realized in April — the transmission of coronavirus is likely not limited to droplet spread. Although 51��’s campus was closed over the summer, the professors were able to collaborate with other 51�� faculty and students remotely to carry out COVID-19 research studies.

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