When Jordan L. Moore (’25) arrived at BYU, he had a plan. Passionate about helping people, he knew he wanted to become a physician. That is, until Moore joined with cell biology and physiology professor Timothy Jenkins (BS ’08) to research early warning signs for Alzheimer’s. Now celebrating his own nationally recognized research to help people suffering from digestive tract diseases, Moore is dedicated to science. “I realized . . . God can make a difference in a lot of people’s lives through discovery.”
Moore’s discoveries are personal. In high school his older brother was diagnosed with small intestinal bacterial overgrowth, leading to malnutrition and putting his life on hold. Unable to identify the causative bacteria, doctors could only encourage diet experimentation, something that often takes years to figure out.
Moore hopes his research, now a diagnostic tool called BioME, will allow doctors to identify problematic bacteria and individualize treatments. “I want to change healthcare to be more personalized,” says Moore. “I’m a firm believer that Jesus does that with us.”
BYU’s emphasis on undergraduate research has let Moore investigate what matters to him. BYU isn’t worried about how research might benefit the institution, Jenkins explains, “they’re worried about the benefit for the student and the world.”
Moore sees his research as part of something bigger than himself. “The Lord is enlightening students here with technologies that are going to bless millions of His children at the end of the day.”
