Medical Physics PhD student Yeseul Kim was selected as a 2025 pre-doctoral affiliate fellow in the UTHealth Houston Innovation in Cancer Prevention Research Training Program funded by the Cancer Prevention and Research Training Institute of Texas (CPRIT) earlier this year. Kim is advised by Eugene Koay, MD, PhD. Kim’s award will support her research studying diagnostic imaging as a tool for pancreatic cancer management.

Focus on imaging to enhance early detection

“Pancreatic cancer is the most notorious cancer with the lowest survival rate worldwide,” says Kim. Her project focuses on developing a multi-modal approach for management using diagnostic imaging that analyzes changes in imaging features over time, creating a comprehensive tool to help physicians identify high-risk patients before their disease becomes too advanced to be effectively treated. 

“I believe that the most effective way to cure cancer is to detect it as early as possible,” says Kim. She chose to focus on imaging techniques that can capture subtle changes that existing methods may overlook to enhance early detection and improve patient outcomes. This is especially critical in pancreatic cancer, she says, because it has one of the lowest survival rates, making early detection an essential tool in the fight against it. 

Growing as a researcher  

Kim always knew that she wanted to pursue graduate education to advance as a researcher. She chose the Graduate School for its multidisciplinary environment with opportunities for collaboration with scientists from diverse fields, and to conduct the highest quality research possible that will have a meaningful impact on the real world. When making her decision she knew the Graduate School was the perfect place for her to grow and gain important knowledge to take with her into her career. 

Bridging the gap between research and real-world applications

“Bridging the gap between research and real-world application is one of my research aspirations,” Kim says. She aims to build her career on developing models that are actively used in clinical scenes. She hopes to create AI-driven tools that clinicians trust and integrate into their daily practices, ultimately improving patient management. After completing her PhD, Kim plans to complete a medical physics residency at an academic medical center that balances research and clinical practice. From there, she will move into a research-oriented medical physics role that gives her the opportunity to contribute to both fundamental discoveries and their clinical translation. 

Pushing boundaries  

Kim urges those at the start of their graduate school journeys to seek guidance from the people around them. The notion that “the world helps those who help themselves” is fundamental to her philosophy of both science and life, and she advises early-stage researchers to ask questions, learn, and push boundaries. “We should never limit our potential,” she says. Developing resilience to push through the challenges of science is another essential component to being a successful researcher, she says. There are times when experiments don’t go as expected, and being able to push through and overcome the burnout that can accompany a negative outcome is important, especially in graduate school.

Kim says the best way to keep going when things don’t go as planned is to stay open to new perspectives and be proactive in discussing challenges with both peers and mentors. In her eyes, graduate students are the driving force behind making the world a better place and remaining resilient and optimistic is the best way to keep working to improve life for those impacted by serious diseases.