Gupta learned that he didn’t need the perfect plan because some of the most meaningful experiences came from following a thread and seeing where it took him. (Photo courtesy Gupta)
Deven Gupta '26: Duke Through a Wider Lens
Deven Gupta came to Duke because he didn’t have to compromise.
A double major in Biophysics and Classical Civilization, Gupta arrived knowing he wanted a career in medicine without sacrificing the humanities — a perspective shaped by growing up in a home where math and science carried the same importance as the arts and humanities.
He sees both of his fields of study as trying to make sense of complex systems, just through different lenses.
“In biophysics, I’m building optical imaging tools that help me understand the cellular changes of disease, and when I'm reading and translating Classical texts, I’m looking through early attempts to explain the environment and trying to find patterns in nature and illness,” he explains. “It's interesting to be involved in cutting edge research but also see what was cutting edge in the past — maybe I can grab some lessons along the way.”
That perspective took shape during his first fall on campus, when he joined the Biomedical Interferometry Optics and Spectroscopy lab (BIOS). What surprised him most wasn’t the technical depth of the work but how early he was allowed to participate. As a first-year, he was embedded in a research environment that included graduate students, postdocs and faculty mentors.
“Working in the BIOS lab has really shaped what I want to do as a career and shown me how science connects to real-world problems,” he says. “I’ve learned how to ask better questions and stick with uncertainty — I don’t think I would’ve had the chance to do this level of research so early in my undergrad anywhere else.”
Gupta’s research centers on advanced imaging methods, developing microscopes to explore new ways of understanding the mechanobiology of disease. Focusing on glaucoma, he is investigating how it can be detected earlier by identifying biomarkers within the eye. By modeling the disease in biological tissue and then imaging deep below the surface, he aims to reveal changes that aren’t visible through conventional methods, work that quite literally depends on staying grounded in what lies beneath.
“The imaging devices I’m building could become future diagnostic tools to help identify glaucoma, and even cancer, earlier. I’m drawn to how translational the work is, as well as the spaces where physics meets preventative healthcare.”
“Working in the BIOS lab has really shaped what I want to do as a career and shown me how science connects to real-world problems. I’ve learned how to ask better questions and stick with uncertainty — I don’t think I would’ve had the chance to do this level of research so early in my undergrad anywhere else.”
Outside the lab, Duke has offered another kind of grounding: community. Gupta joined Duke Deewana, the South Asian and Western music acapella student group, where he discovered a new skill: beatboxing. The group has become both an artistic outlet and a cultural anchor after his move from California. “Deewana is collaborative in a way that I really value,” he says. “We’re all working toward the same performance, and we can lean on each other.”
That same sense of collective purpose extends into his community work. Through Bass Connections, he was part of the Tracing the Roots of Nutrition Access, Implementation and Policy project, focused on food access for Durham residents. He also is part of the Root Causes Fresh Produce Program, connecting him directly with Durham residents, something he says would have been far harder to access elsewhere.
“Because Duke is so connected with Durham, it speaks to the opportunities I’ve been able to pursue,” he says. “On campus, I’m in classes and the lab, but I’m also able to directly help the community outside of campus.”
After graduation, Gupta will return to his home state to pursue an M.D.-Ph.D. at Stanford University, with the goal of becoming a physician-scientist. “I don’t want to be concretely tied to the lab,” he says. “I want to build devices that will be used by clinicians in real environments, to detect disease earlier and get patients treatment sooner.”
"Because Duke is so connected with Durham, it speaks to the opportunities I’ve been able to pursue. On campus, I’m in classes and the lab, but I’m also able to directly help the community outside of campus."
Not everything, however, unfolded as planned. He laughs when recalling a first-year spreadsheet that meticulously mapped out all four years of courses, which he quickly realized wasn’t going to line up with what he wanted to follow. But the experience taught him something unexpected: structure matters less than direction.
“I've learned that the present doesn't necessarily need to repeat what I did in high school or middle school. Even when something didn’t feel like a perfect fit at first, I still followed it, and those choices created some of my most memorable experiences.”
His advice for incoming students reflects that lesson.
“You don’t need a perfect plan,” he says. “Some of the most meaningful experiences come from following a thread and simply seeing where it leads.”