We had the good fortune of connecting with Jay Shah and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jay, the decisions we make often shape our story in profound ways. What was one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make?
Deciding to pursue a Ph.D. in Computer Science. The reason it was difficult is that I had multiple job offers in hand after graduating with my Master’s along with an education loan being an international student. But I was not interested in job roles such as software engineer or similar titles, instead was more inclined to pursue a career in research, specifically using AI for medical research.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am currently a Ph.D. student at Arizona State University. I have a background in computer science but currently, my area of research is using Artificial Intelligence to help and improve the diagnosis of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and post-traumatic headaches.

Outside of that, I am most proud of being a podcast host which I started in 2019 with the aim to help young students and researchers learn more basics of artificial intelligence and machine learning and get started with it. I am proud to say my podcast now has 200,000+ downloads and 4,700+ subscribers.

Pursuing research in the medical domain and hosting a podcast, were both something I was never trained for but indeed are something I feel makes the most impact in my capacity as a student. I have learned a lot about computer science and machine learning in my capacity as a Ph.D. student and try to give it back to young students via my podcast.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Since I am located in Tempe, something I would have for my friend is: to hike to A-mountain on a good clear day for sunset, give an ASU campus tour, downtown Mill Avenue on a Friday or Saturday, and some fantastic Mexican restaurants in Tempe and Scottsdale, old town Scottsdale and maybe a short trip to Sedona and Flagstaff.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I am most thankful to my parents since they have provided me with me everything related to my career and studies and have supported me every decision I have taken till date.

Website: https://www.public.asu.edu/~jgshah1/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jay.shah22/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shahjay22/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jaygshah22

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/JayShahml

Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/jay-shahs-podcast/id1532301544

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.