Biomedical engineering alumna Lena Wallace is turning cutting-edge research into practical health care solutions, and her work earned her a spot on the prestigious Gamecock35 list this past spring.
Presented by the University of South Carolina Young Alumni Council and South Carolina Student Loan, the Gamecock35 is a select cohort of alumni under age 35 who embody the spirit of Carolina and are making meaningful impacts in their fields and communities.
For Wallace, the recognition reflects a career built on a goal she first developed as a student - advancing access to health care.
“I chose biomedical engineering because I wanted to be involved in making health care affordable and increasing access to preventative and proactive care,” Wallace says. “I have a deep passion for taking our innovation in the lab and applying that to people’s lives.”
Since graduating from the University of South Carolina in 2017, her work has focused on preventative care solutions and epigenetics, the study of how factors such as diet, stress and lifestyle can impact gene behavior. Wallace built experience across the life sciences and biotechnology industries at companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific and Sartorius.
In 2024, she joined Kentucky-based biotechnology company TruDiagnostic, where she currently serves as global director of research and commercial partnerships. TruDiagnostic develops at-home tests and lab services for evaluating biological age, organ health and cellular function. But according to Wallace, the heartbeat of the company is its research aimed at improving disease prediction and preventative care.
It takes a while to learn to be confident in your decisions, and USC helped me with that. When I saw myself recognized among the tremendously successful alumni on the Gamecock35 list, it was a full-circle moment.
- Lena Wallace
In her role, Wallace leads research collaborations, supports clinical trials, manages partnerships with academic institutions and industry, and leads efforts to expand access to epigenetic testing and health solutions. She has helped oversee more than 65 scientific publications advancing research in longevity science and epigenetic research.
“My team collaborates with other institutions to bridge the gap between scientific innovation and real-world products that are scalable for the commercial market,” Wallace says. “The applications of epigenetics are so vast, and it’s exciting to be part of making these health solutions more accessible.”
Wallace is especially proud of TruDiagnostic’s Vision for 2030 initiative, which aims to transition biological aging and epigenetic testing from longevity tracking into mainstream preventative medicine. The company is developing a methylation diagnostic test to produce personalized health forecasts to predict a patient’s risk of developing disease with a high level of accuracy.
Wallace’s success has also created opportunities for fellow Gamecock alumni. Among the members of her team is Lauren Speck, a 2023 biomedical engineering graduate who serves as scientific collaborations lead.
“Lena’s career is a testament to what a USC biomedical engineering degree can open up,” Speck says. “She’s taken her training through some of the most rigorous companies in the life sciences space and brought that depth of experience to TruDiagnostic.”
Mentorship remains an important part of Wallace’s leadership philosophy. She encourages her staff to look beyond their immediate responsibilities and build relationships, skills and experiences that support long-term career growth.
“What makes Lena especially remarkable is that she creates space for early-career scientists and salespeople to find their voice in highly technical conversations,” Speck says. “As a fellow Gamecock, I feel lucky every day to work alongside her and call her a mentor.”
Wallace attributes her success in part to both the opportunities and challenges she encountered in the college’s biomedical engineering program.
“Most importantly, I learned how to prioritize my work and think critically in engineering. But I also appreciated the culture of the biomedical engineering community,” Wallace says. “The faculty and staff were understanding, flexible and supportive. The program and culture they have derived there gave me the mentality that I could still get through things even if I struggled.”
Silke Henrich, the biomedical engineering undergraduate director, remembers Wallace for her warmth and emotional intelligence combined with technical and scientific knowledge.
“Lena possesses a rare combination of technical expertise, scientific insight and exceptional interpersonal skills,” Henrich says. “As a student, she stood out to me for her natural leadership, collaborative spirit and ability to communicate complex scientific concepts with clarity and confidence.”
Henrich also points to Wallace’s continued involvement with the department as one of her most meaningful contributions.
“What makes me especially proud is that she remains actively engaged with USC and the biomedical engineering department, generously sharing her time and experience with students and serving as a role model who exemplifies both professional excellence and a genuine commitment to helping others succeed,” Henrich says.
As Wallace’s career continues to grow, her connection to USC remains strong. The lessons she learned in the classroom, the challenges she overcame and the community she found in biomedical engineering continue to shape her work today.
“It takes a while to learn to be confident in your decisions, and USC helped me with that,” Wallace says. “When I saw myself recognized among the tremendously successful alumni on the Gamecock35 list, it was a full-circle moment.”