Lucy Martinson
Papua New Guinea
The trip, led by Dr. Mike Pyle and his wife, Nancy Pyle, both retired professors; Dr. Nicole Vander Schaaf, assistant professor of biological sciences; and Dr. Michael Wade, assistant professor of engineering, gave seniors Lucy Martinson and Jolie Archer and Abigail Lynn ’24, Tori Orton ’24, Ellie Thompson ’24 and Carley Goetsch ’24 a unique opportunity for research application while connecting with the community in Papua New Guinea.
For Lucy, it was a chance to continue the research she had started under the direction of Dr. Vander Schaaf. In partnership with the doctors and staff at Kudjip Nazarene Hospital, they created, optimized and validated an accurate and cost-effective way to test for cervical cancer through HPV testing.
“Thanks to funds and grants received for my research, we were able to purchase some of these tests for the hospital so that they could start testing women for HPV for the first time ever in that province,” Lucy says. “I am so thankful to have gone on this trip. It was so amazing to see the ways God is working at the Nazarene Hospital. He is truly there, using amazing people to minister to so many patients and their families.”
From Olivet The Magazine, The Parent Issue – Autumn 2024. Read the full issue here.
