Cynthia Keppel explains why physicists are interested in the tiniest particles known to humankind, and how an understanding of these particles advances science.  Cynthia is a highly esteemed physicist at Jefferson Labs and a gifted explainer of physics to non-scientists. In this talk she emotionally reveals how her inventions are being used to help save the life of someone very close to her.

Cynthia Keppel is both a nuclear physicist and a cancer researcher. She leads two of the four major experimental facilities at the TJ National Accelerator Facility, where she and her colleagues study the structure and dynamics of the fundamental building blocks of matter. She has a concurrent interest in medical technology development, where she holds several patents borne from applying state-of-the-art techniques from discovery science to practical medical applications.

She has served on numerous national committees for both fields, including the National Nuclear Science Advisory Committee and the National Institutes of Health Advisory Research Resources Council. She is a Fellow of the American Physics Society, and her awards include a Virginia Outstanding Scientist Award and this year’s Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics Distinguished Lectureship Award. She is an author of over 160 peer-reviewed scientific publications, and has been featured on popular radio and television.