Becoming a Research Technician at Johns Hopkins Neurosurgical Lab: Jackson Miller ’24

This article is part of The Next Step series. While the four years at VMI are designed for cadets to push themselves academically, physically, and mentally to tackle the demands of life at a premiere military college, they also prepare cadets for life after graduation. Whether that life be one in the military or one in the private sector, VMI faculty and staff provide guidance to cadets along their journeys. One department specifically dedicated to that endeavor of post-Institute success is the Office of Career Services. In The Next Step series, we highlight cadets preparing to enter the workforce after graduation, as well as those still in the midst of their cadetship preparing for internships over the summer. 

Jackson Miller ’24 has aspirations of becoming a doctor. The recent graduate from Rockville, Maryland, will be taking a step in that direction as a research technician at the Johns Hopkins Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory starting this summer. 

The Johns Hopkins Hunterian Neurosurgical Laboratory is the nation’s first experimental surgery laboratory, according to its website. The lab houses research groups representing multiple specialties and interests in the neurosurgical community, with a facility fully equipped with a microsurgical laboratory, cell culture and microscopy facilities, quantitative image analysis, certified operating rooms, and radiologic equipment. 

The English major will be working at Hopkins to perform research and earn money before going to medical school.

“I want to practice medicine because it is important work and I like to help others,” he said. 

His duties will include performing cancer research and experimenting with new types of chemotherapy and cancer treatments. As for his future goals, he sees himself as an emergency medicine doctor in the U.S. Army, which is a nod to his mother’s profession.  

“My mom was a surgeon in the Navy for 25 years, and she’s the one who inspired me to think about medicine as a way to serve my country, and to serve others,” he said.  

Miller credits VMI for preparing him for the future.  

“VMI prepared me to embark on this difficult journey by challenging me with academics, the Rat Line, and with my experiences on the boxing team here at the Institute,” he said. “In particular, boxing taught me how to fight hard through adversity and push my limits.” 

But the VMI alumni network gave him a competitive edge, he said.  

 “I would not have the opportunities that I am currently taking full advantage of without the help of VMI alumni. The alumni network here is incredibly strong, and they look out for members of the VMI family by helping them look for jobs as well as through exceptional mentorship,” he said.