Dr. Julia Ann James Zuze

It is my conviction that education is a ministry, one that is integral to spiritual formation no matter what subject is being taught to students, and no matter the grade-level or ability of the student.  I engage in a strategy for teaching that is holistic and draws upon the multifaceted ways that students learn with a sensitivity for those who do not learn via the traditional ways of learning that have focused on rote memorization. I embrace the multiple disciplines in which I have been trained and will remain engaged in the scholarship of pedagogy to learn new methods for developing learners.

The role of an educator is one that requires the highest level of ethical and professional accountability since this role is one that is also grounded in discipleship. My methods of teaching are adaptable depending on the subject matter, age group, and learning style of each student in the cohort. I endeavor to ensure that each and every learner grows in knowledge, skill, and faith through the combination of the teaching methods I employ and through being a role model and mentor for the learners.

My personal statement of faith is in alignment with SFBC’s mission. My personal mission is threefold:

1- To follow God’s call to serve in His Vineyard with fellow laborers to act as hands and feet for His holy mission in the world.

2- To honorably serve as a minister, scholar, educator, cultivator, and creative in God’s perfect will.

3- To live by the verses Micah 6:8 and Mark 11:22-25 every day.

My Contact

jzuze@sfbc.edu

Bio

Dr. Julia Zuze graduated with a postgraduate diploma in integrated immunology (2005) and a Doctorate in Philosophy in Clinical Medicine in the field of immunology (2011) from the University of Oxford in England. Dr. Zuze attended the University of Oxford on a Rhodes Scholarship and with a fellowship that enabled a joint project with researchers at the Vaccine Research Center at the National Institutes of Health, an Oxford-Cambridge Biomedical Scholarship as the first Rhodes Scholar selected to participate in the joint program. Dr. Zuze taught first year Chemistry and upper-level Medicinal Chemistry (2009-2010) and transitioned to a post-doctoral fellowship at UCSF called the Traineeships in AIDS Prevention Studies (TAPS) (2012-2015) during which she completed a Master of Science in Global Health Sciences (2013). As a lifelong Christian, Dr Zuze’s work in the sciences and in public health have enriched her perspective on theological studies and ministerial work for the glory of God’s Kingdom.

Dr. Zuze has served as a volunteer at churches in roles that included choir member, hospitality, Director of Outreach & Evangelism, Landscaper, Volunteer Leader of Discipleship Programming, among other roles as an expression of her dedication to servant leadership. Dr. Zuze’s commitment to her call to ministry as a pastoral leader led to her enrollment in an M.Div. program (2024-2025). Her commitment to specialized study led to a period of intense discernment regarding the best-fit doctoral program for her interdisciplinary work. Dr. Zuze has engaged in specialized training in ministry including being named an Engle Fellow at the Engle Institute for Preaching at Princeton Theological Seminary (2025). Dr Zuze is a member of the City to City Miami Cohort Fall 2025, and will be actively engaged in preaching, ministry building, and service alongside her peers between 2025-2027. Dr Zuze is also actively engaged in prayer and discernment concerning her future denominational affiliation and ministerial assignments in pastoral leadership.

Dr. Zuze identifies as a “spiritual storyteller” and is actively sharing her creative artifacts including poetry, creative non-fiction, experimental writing, and essays with the world as her personal expression of praise and obedience to the Lord, Jesus Christ and to his commissioning of all disciples in Matthew 28:19-20.

Education

  • Postgraduate Diploma in Integrated Immunology, University of Oxford
  • Doctor of Philosophy (D.Phil., PhD equivalent), University of Oxford
  • Master of Science in Global Health Sciences, University of California at San Francisco (UCSF)

Teaching Areas

Biological Sciences

  • Biology
  • Microbiology

Chemical Sciences

  • Biochemistry
  • Chemistry
  • Medicinal Chemistry
  • Pharmacology

Medical Sciences

  • Anatomy & Physiology
  • Immunology

Ethics

  • Ethical Leadership
  • Biomedical Ethics
  • Christian Ethics

Interdisciplinary

  • Science and Faith
  • Faith and Society
  • Global Health Sciences

Recognitions

2025 Engle Fellow, Engle Institute at the Princeton Theological Seminary, Princeton, NJ
2012 Traineeships in AIDS Prevention Science (TAPS) Postdoctoral Fellowship, University of California at San Francisco, California
2005 Oxford-Cambridge Biomedical Program Scholarship
2003 Rhodes Scholarship

Publications

1-Biology Pedagogy (In-Progress) Research Phase – “Tandem Writing
Assignments as a Pedagogical Tool for Biology Instruction in the Era of AI”
2-Theology Publication (In-Progress) Exploratory Phase – Title TBD
3-“Exile” – Poetry by Dr Julia Zuze – pending publisher
4-“This I Confess” – Creative Non-fiction by Dr Julia Zuze – pending agent and publisher