Scientific breakthroughs don’t happen in isolation. They are built through mentorship, curiosity and hands-on discovery. In this month’s episode of Face to Face With Chancellor May, undergraduate researcher Azucena “Zucy” Virgen and Celina Juliano, an associate professor of cellular and molecular biology, share how their collaboration is advancing regenerative biology while shaping the next generation of scientists.
Virgen, a senior majoring in biological sciences and a recipient of the Barry Goldwater Scholarship, began her journey just a few miles from UC Davis in Woodland. What started as an interest in science during her school years quickly turned into a passion for research after she encountered one remarkable organism: the hydra.
“I took a zoology class in high school and learned about hydra and how they could regenerate,” Zucy said. “I thought this was absolutely incredible.”
Now a member of Juliano’s Lab, Virgen studies how hydra, a tiny freshwater animal, can regenerate lost body parts. Her work focuses on how these organisms rebuild their heads after injury, a complex process guided by molecular signaling pathways.
“My project is focused on how the injury response to close the wound is coupled to repatterning the organism,” Zucy said.
Unlike industry-driven projects, this kind of foundational research doesn’t deliver immediate profit, but it lays the groundwork for future medical breakthroughs, from regenerating teeth using signaling molecules to the possibility of growing organs in a lab and improving how humans heal. That’s where federal funding plays a critical role, allowing scientists the freedom to explore, experiment and discover without narrow constraints.
“Federal funding is not only fueling basic research but it's also allowing me to train the next generation of scientists,” Juliano said.
May agreed.
“If you were funded by industry, they would have different constraints and time frames on basic research than federal funding certainly has,” May said.
Students like Virgen are direct beneficiaries of that investment. Through her work in the lab, she’s not only contributing to research but also preparing for the next step in her scientific journey.
As conversations around research funding continue nationwide, their story highlights what’s at stake: not just discoveries, but the people behind them.
Watch the full episode above to learn more about how federal funding supports innovation, empowers students and drives the future of scientific discovery.
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Anila Lijo is a writer and editor for the Office of Strategic Communications, and can be reached by email.