Pre-med student Zachary Hodgen is examining what worms can tell us about the aging process

By Joan Tupponce

Zachary Hodgen looks at worms differently these days.

The rising third-year student at Virginia Commonwealth University is double-majoring in biology and political science in the College of Humanities and Sciences. As part of his pre-med studies, Hodgen is spending part of the summer in a research lab at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where he has trained his eye on worms that might offer insight into human biology.

"They are so small we can't see them," Hodgen said of C. Elegans, but the worms are excellent candidates for research. "They are very similar to humans in many ways, and they grow from egg to adult in three days, which makes it easy to study the maturation process."

Isolating their ribosomes (small protein factories in cells) and examining them under an electron microscope helps Hodgen see how they look when the worms are young and old, which is very similar to how human ribosomes look at the same ages.

"The technology to do so is still being refined and explored, so I'm very excited to be able to say I'm at the cutting edge in a highly advanced laboratory," he said of his work with Stefanie Redemann, Ph.D., whose lab is associated with UVA's Center for Membrane and Cell Physiology.

Hodgen, who was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, and adopted when he was very young, has always wanted to be a doctor.

"My mom is a nurse, and my dad is a teacher," he said. "We had a family friend who was a cardiologist that knew I wanted to go into medicine and help people. I was able to shadow some professionals."

Hodgen's interest led him to become an emergency medical technician in 2021, working with the Staunton-Augusta Rescue Squad. "It's been a good experience. It helped solidify my choice to go into medicine," he said. "It's very hands-on."

This summer's internship extends work Hodgen started in the U.Va. lab last summer, and he has been grateful to work alongside Ph.D.'s and doctors involved in research. He has received support from VCU's Internship Funding Program, which offers awards that help students defray the expenses associated with summer internships.

"I've gotten to see behind the scenes in the research and development that goes into all the drugs on the shelf and the solutions that can be provided to the patient," he said. "It has given me a lot more insights into how much goes into every part. I've been able to connect with a lot of people."

Hodgen also has been able to understand and appreciate the different roles in research, and he admits he didn't think he would ever enjoy working in that realm of medicine.

"It wasn't my cup of tea, but I gave it a shot and have really enjoyed it," he said. "I found that I'm a little more detail-oriented than I thought, and I have become a better problem-solver. In research you have to step back and assess what went wrong, and that helps with persistence. That's something I've built and something I had more of than I thought I did."

Hodgen, who likes to cook, sees similarities between cooking and research. "When I cook, I have multiple things going on at once at different speeds. I have to keep my eye on all of them. The same is true with research," he said.

During his summer internship, Hodgen also has participated in the Starr Hill Pathways program, a career-readiness program run by the UVA Equity Center that serves students in Charlottesville and Albemarle County public schools.

"We had eighth-graders from Charlottesville and Albemarle come to our lab, and they got to look at some cells under the microscopes, and I got to help," he said. "It gave them an opportunity they might not have had."

And for Hodgen, the internship has given him more insight into the varied aspects of the medical field.

"Being able to understand these things, to me as an aspiring doctor, is like understanding the first leg of the race in helping patients. Research like this is what allows a new drug to be developed and eventually become a solution for those in need," he said. "While many great medical providers do very well without understanding this side of the field, I can certainly say I'm grateful for the wealth of knowledge and experience this internship has provided me so far."

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