JCSU Researcher Channels Her Frustration To Realize A Cure For Her Disease
Kayla Jenkins ’22, a Biology major with a minor in Sustainability, quickly became interested in research after her first full year at Johnson C. Smith University.
Her interest landed her in a summer research program at Stanford University, where she began studying transplant immunology with hopes of one day studying an immunodeficient disease she struggles with herself – type 1 diabetes.
“My own personal experience with this disease has really driven my whole purpose,” she said. “Diabetes doesn’t care if you’re sleeping, having fun with your friends or even pregnant. There’s never a time when you aren’t thinking about your blood sugar, which is frustrating. I’m putting my frustration toward my research so that one day I can be a part of the generation that sees a cure for this disease.”