Class of 2025: Jacqueline Hou champions science, service, and social change
An Outstanding Senior in the Department of Biochemistry, Hou is preparing for medical school while continuing her work in cancer research and menstrual equity advocacy.
Name: Jacqueline Hou
Hometown: Blacksburg, Virginia
College: College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
Major: Biochemistry
What are your plans after graduation?
I’ll be applying to medical school while working as a medical scribe in the Emergency Department at Carilion New River Valley Medical Center during my gap year.
What’s been the best part of your major?
The Biochemistry department is incredibly tight-knit and supportive. One of my favorite experiences was presenting my cancer immunotherapy research at Engelpalooza — it was a proud moment that highlighted how far I’d come as a student researcher.
Tell us about your research experience.
I’ve been a student researcher at the Laboratory of Innate Immunity and Inflammation Therapeutics at Virginia Tech for the past four years. This experience helped me develop skills to be a future physician researcher. During my time, I worked on two projects, both published in papers: one using neutrophil therapy to enhance anti-tumor immunity and the other on using 4-phenylbutyric acid to train monocytes in the resolution of monocytes. I thoroughly enjoyed using critical thinking and adapting to challenges in my experiments, skills that will be beneficial to me as I treat patients.
What leadership and service experiences shaped your time at Virginia Tech?
As president of the American Medical Student Association (AMSA) Pre-Medical Chapter at Virginia Tech, I’ve organized events with physicians and medical school admissions representatives to educate premed students along their journey as future physicians. I’ve also led volunteer events within AMSA, such as Micah’s Backpack, where we pack food for low-income families in the New River Valley. It’s been rewarding to support my fellow premeds and provide opportunities to support their professional growth.
I am also the president of Period at Virginia Tech, an organization that is part of the national movement to combat period poverty and stigma. I led an initiative to help the 10 percent of Virginia Tech students who struggle to access period products by working with Student Affairs to install 41 no-cost dispensers in bathrooms across campus. In addition, I’ve led five period product drives to raise 14,000+ products each semester for the community. These efforts have helped support students and women in local crisis shelters and taught me the importance of advocacy —something I plan to carry forward into medicine.
I’ve also been a peer mentor for the Biochemistry first-year experience course, a hospice volunteer for Carilion Clinic, and a program leader for the YMCA’s after-school program at Blacksburg Middle School.
How did scholarships support your academic journey?
I received the William Newton Undergraduate Research Scholarship from the Department of Biochemistry for my research contributions. Being recognized for my work was incredibly meaningful and encouraged me to keep pursuing ways to improve modern medicine.