Léal Makaroff
Léal Makaroff is a graduate student and neurology research assistant with a passion for work and witness at the intersection of the STEM disciplines and Christian discipleship. Initially certified as a TEFL missionary educator for service in the highlands of Guatemala, he has taught and tutored algebra at a leading classical charter school network in Texas, and provided adult education in workplace math and tutoring services for homeschoolers in his home province of British Columbia, Canada.
He obtained his Bachelor’s degree (Biology, Math minor) from Westmont College in Santa Barbara, CA. Since graduating he has begun a Master’s program in Medical Science at Liberty University, and has completed two post-graduate programs, one in Management & Leadership from Liberty, and the other in Piano Performance from The Royal Conservatory of Toronto. Besides his contributions to peer-reviewed articles on Huntington’s disease research and ALS, he has participated in multiple seminars and conferences for students and professionals on apologetics, philosophy of science, molecular biology, and "engineering" in living systems. He is also a part-time graduate student of Biblical Studies at Redemption Seminary.
Beyond the analytical study of nature, Léal is an earnest participant in the enjoyment and worshipful stewardship of the divine gift of Creation. His summer hiking trips through the temperate rainforests of the Pacific NW and three voyages onboard SALTS tall ships have cultivated a deep sense of awe and gratitude, and a desire to use scientific knowledge in service of the flourishing of God’s world. He has studied ecology, agrarianism, and stewardship in Christian perspective at the Pacific Rim Institute (Whidbey Island, WA) and worked at the earthkeeping organization A Rocha Canada in Surrey, BC. He is a fan of Wendell Berry, and enjoys reading, writing, gardening, and cross-country running.
As a disciple of Christ, Léal is deeply grateful for his parents’ example of integrity, sincerity, and godliness, which (through example and their sacrificial choice to homeschool years ago) helped mature and cultivate his early inclination to love and commit himself to God. His wonder took a large leap when he saw that the same Wisdom woven through the Scriptures, is the Wisdom that framed the cosmos. He has been encouraged in his discipleship by an abundance of godly men over the years, and appreciates the chance to worship in the richness and robustness of the liturgical Protestant tradition. He is grateful to live near to both parents and grandparents in Vancouver, BC.
