URS Conference Stories: Keshav Jha

Keshav Jha received a summer 2025 conference award from the URS Office to present at the 67th Annual AAPM Meeting in Washington, DC! Learn more about this experience.

This past weekend, I had the opportunity to present my research at the 67th Annual AAPM Meeting in Washington, DC, alongside Victoria Parker and Joseph Farina. The conference brought together physicists, doctors, entrepreneurs, and students from around the world, all united by a shared passion for advancing medical physics.

Over the past year, I’ve been researching novel radiopharmaceuticals for breast, prostate, and brain cancers in the Haystead Lab at Duke University. At AAPM, I had the honor of presenting one of our projects, which explores using Cherenkov light from EBRT to activate a new photodynamic molecule that can selectively kill cancer cells. Presenting this work was an incredible experience—so many curious and thoughtful attendees stopped by with questions, offered next steps, and even congratulated me on the research. It was inspiring and motivating to find a community that uplifts others’ work and pushes them to grow. I had an amazing time talking to everyone who stopped by, and I learned more about my own work in the process of explaining it to fellow researchers!

Beyond my own poster, I had the chance to hear from keynote speakers who gave engaging talks on topics like AI-driven imaging for disease prediction, proton therapy in pediatrics, radiopharmaceutical therapy and dosimetry, and the evolving role of medical physics in a tech-driven future. These talks opened my mind to new possibilities and deepened my curiosity about where I want to go next in my journey.

But what truly made this weekend unforgettable were the connections I made. I met people from around the globe—Korea, China, Peru, England, France—all working on groundbreaking innovations to improve patient care. I got to hear stories of early startup days and late nights chasing breakthroughs. We walked the streets of DC together and even had the entire Smithsonian Museum of American History rented out for a nighttime party (thankfully, nothing came alive!). These friendships and stories made the trip truly special—despite the 80% humidity that left me completely soaked.

I left AAPM with new ideas, renewed excitement for research, and more people I can now call friends. I’m incredibly grateful to the Duke Undergraduate Research Support Office for making this trip possible.