https://archive.org/details/CharacterInsightEp252
Lewis Zimmerman is a Starfleet scientist who becomes the leader in the field of holo-engineering. After 12 years of serving at the holo-programming center on Jupiter Station, he becomes the director of the station. His crowning achievement was the development of a long term medical holographic program, the holographic EMH.
We first discover Zimmerman in the Voyager episode Projections, where we learn that all Mark I first generation EMH's were based on him. Thus, we see Zimmerman as an older version of the holographic doctor we know so well.
In the DS9 episode Doctor Bashir, I Presume, we see Zimmerman trying to model Dr. Julian Bashir as the template for an improved EMH. When it is discovered that Julian's parents had him genetically engineered as a child, Zimmerman has to disqualify Bashir from being the template. Which is good because I don't think we could handle any more Julian Bashirs!
Zimmerman has a short dating relationship with Leeta on this episode, and when that breaks off, he has no trouble rebounding when he sees another good thing, as seen here:
QUOTE (from Doctor Bashir, I Presume):
Zimmerman: Perhaps I'm better suited to a life of solitary research...don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Excuse me, are you familiar with the ancient Earth text called the Kama Sutra?
The best episode featuring Zimmerman is Voyager's Life Line, where he is terminally ill and prepares a last will and testament giving everything holographic to Reginald Barclay. Barclay, who had established contact with Voyager, convinces the holographic Doctor to come try and treat Zimmerman. After refusing to be treated by an earlier model of the EMH, Dr. Zimmerman eventually backs down and the EMH cures him, while also showing the personality he has developed in working with the Voyager crew. It becomes almost a father-son relationship, and is another good character beat for the holographic EMH.
Zimmerman was an interesting character much in the vein of Dr. Soong, and his involvement on two concurrent series leads to good character development of Dr. Bashir and the holographic EMH. You can't ask much more than that in a small handful of appearances.
Lewis Zimmerman was played by Robert Picardo, just like the EMH. Picardo still acts today, and he can be found as host of the show The Planetary Post.
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