During the 2016 National Hispanic Education Summit hosted by Baylor University, Baylor’s Dr. Daniel Romo, the Schotts Professor of Chemistry in the College of Arts & Sciences, sat down with an interviewer from Christianity Today to discuss how his love of science is rooted in his love of God. “We have a way, as scientists, to explore the world and try to understand what God created,” Romo said. “He gave us a playground, if you will, to actually go and explore the world.”

As a Professor of Chemistry and Co-Director of the Baylor CPRIT Synthesis and Drug-Lead Discovery Laboratory, much of Dr. Romo’s work centers on “natural products,” the definition of which he explains through both God and science: “[Natural products] are compounds isolated from natural sources. For example, God has created bacteria and plants with an incredible capacity to make small molecules, which scientists can use to understand more about the cell. We study how cells function, both normal cells and cancer cells. We harvest the information that God indirectly gave us through these small molecules. Due to our study and the work of others, these compounds are often being used now to treat cancer.”

Dr. Romo’s and his colleagues’ research on cancer prevention and treatment improves people’s lives and provides testimony to God’s creation. In addition, Dr. Romo aims to impact lives through articulating his vision for the intersection of science and Christian faith: “I see being excited about science as a way to be excited about God. I try to convey this to my own children as well as my students.”