When Dr. Blesson Paul talks about science, he doesn’t separate it from faith. For him, the two have always been intertwined.

“I want students to learn that science is God’s creative genius. We are just learning about His work,” he said. “We have the word of God, and then we have the works of God. And it needs to be studied together to enjoy Him fully.”

That conviction has guided a remarkable journey that has taken him from a missionary village in southern India to neuroscience labs in Israel and Texas, and now to Nelson University, where he joined the faculty in fall 2026 as Assistant Professor of Science.

For Nelson students, Dr. Paul brings more than impressive academic credentials. He brings a life shaped by deep faith, incredible research, and a belief that science can become an act of worship.

As an eighth grader in India, Dr. Paul became fascinated with forensic science after watching a television detective show. “I would see these DNA bands, and I was fascinated. This is what I must become. This is what I must do with my life.”

That passion led him into microbiology, genomics, and eventually neuroscience. But alongside his academic interests, something deeper was taking shape.

“I started asking the Lord, what is it that you have for me?”

Born into a missionary family, Dr. Paul says he grew up knowing about God. His parents served in a remote region of southern India where they dedicated their lives to ministry. Yet his personal walk with Christ developed dramatically during college.

“My life’s trajectory has changed because now I’m in love with the Lord.”

That love would become the guiding compass for every major decision that followed. After earning his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in India, Dr. Paul joined the National Brain Research Centre near New Delhi, India.

There he began exploring questions about memory, learning, and brain function. His research included studying fruit fly brains and the neurological pathways that shape behavior.

“We barely scratched the surface,” he said. “I love DNA, but I knew I needed to learn about the brain.”

Then came a moment he still describes with amazement. During a morning devotional, he was reading Ezekiel 34 when a particular verse captured his attention.

“I felt like the Lord was saying, ‘I will take you to Israel.'”

At the time, the idea seemed unlikely. Yet when he began applying to doctoral programs, one university in Israel responded almost immediately. Days later, he received an acceptance letter from the University of Haifa.

Only then did he discover where the university was located.

“It was on the top of Mount Carmel. Exactly as the Lord said, ‘I will take you to the mountains of Israel.’ I was shocked, surprised, and amazed.”

For six years, Dr. Paul lived and studied in Israel, conducting advanced neuroscience research while growing deeper in his faith.

“Our house was near where Elijah brought fire,” he recalled. “Every Saturday I would spend time with the Lord there.”

Paul’s academic journey eventually brought him to the United States, where he spent several years at the University of Texas at Dallas studying pain processing and the amygdala, a region of the brain involved in fear, memory, and emotion. His work explored how chronic pain affects the nervous system and how emotional experiences shape neurological responses.

His research earned recognition and innovation awards. Dr. Paul learned how to excel professionally while quietly carrying his faith into spaces where open conversations about Christianity were often rare. Still, he never stopped looking for opportunities to share Christ.

“You can be excellent in science and deeply devoted to Christ.”

By late 2025, Paul wasn’t actively searching for a career change. He was succeeding in his research and working on major projects. But God had other plans. Scrolling on LinkedIn, he noticed a faculty opening at Nelson University. One phrase immediately caught his interest: “We are looking for Spirit-filled professors.”

“I had never seen that before,” he said. “That just caught my attention.”

As he learned more about Nelson, he recognized a mission that matched his own. “The pursuit of life with Christ is the loftiest goal,” Dr. Paul said. He prayed, considered the opportunity, and sensed God leading him again. “Sometimes the Lord asks you to move when you’re at your peak.”

Today, he sees his arrival at Nelson as part of a much bigger story. Just weeks into his first semester, Dr. Paul is already dreaming about what’s possible. His vision goes far beyond lectures and exams.

One project already in development involves studying athlete gut microbiomes and examining how specific bacterial species might influence endurance and performance. He’s also interested in expanding opportunities related to artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, and emerging technologies.

But regardless of the technology, his goal remains the same: “It has to help somebody.”

For Dr. Paul, science education should build strong academic mastery while deepening a student’s passion for the Lord.

Outside the classroom, Dr. Paul lives in Plano, TX, with his wife, Karthika, their 6-year-old daughter, and one on the way. Their story reflects the same faith-centered journey that defines Dr. Paul’s life. Ask Dr. Paul how he would describe himself in a few words, and his answer comes quickly: “A lover of God.”

That identity shapes everything else. His research. His teaching. His vision for students.

At Nelson, he hopes students leave his classroom with scientific knowledge, practical experience, and something even more important: wonder.

“I want them to turn that into a moment of worship.”

For Dr. Blesson Paul, science is not merely a career. It is an invitation to discover the fingerprints of God in creation.

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