South Carolina Honors College student and McNair Scholar Linden McGregor has been named a finalist for the 2027 Marshall Scholarship. If she is selected, McGregor would be the third University of South Carolina student to receive this prestigious international award and the first since Elizabeth Nyikos in 2009.
The finalist: McGregor is a senior biochemistry and molecular biology major and Spanish minor from Lexington, Kentucky. Her research interests started developing at age 12 in her parents' veterinary clinic; by high school, she was engaging in cell fate mitochondrial dynamics research with Professor Chintan Kikani at the University of Kentucky. At the University of South Carolina, McGregor's research on antifungal development in Professor Caryn Outten's lab has been funded by Magellan and South Carolina Honors College Research Grants. She was awarded a summer research grant from the National Institutes of Health in 2026 and earned the Goldwater Scholarship for undergraduate STEM research in 2025.
Outside of the lab, McGregor is committed to STEM communication and community engagement. She currently serves as the president of Dream Outside the Box, a volunteer organization dedicated to introducing elementary school students to STEM concepts. McGregor can be heard on WUSC radio as the host of Science Bonds, which features various STEM topics and guest speakers. She also encourages her peers to pursue research through her role as a Research Ambassador for the Office of Undergraduate Research. She plans to pursue an MPhil in medical science at the University of Cambridge to investigate metabolic signatures of ischemia, the period without blood flow that occurs during heart attack, stroke and organ transplant.
What she’s saying: "I aim to become a biomedical researcher and professor, in which role I will investigate metabolism in neuromuscular and neurodegenerative diseases and will continue to mentor the next generation of scientists."
The opportunity: The Marshall Scholarship provides funding for one to two years of graduate study in the United Kingdom. Established in 1953, the scholarship honors the strong relationship between the United States and United Kingdom. Up to 50 scholars are selected each year based on academic merit, leadership potential and ambassadorial potential.
The selection process: McGregor will interview for the Marshall Scholarship in Atlanta, Georgia, Nov. 17 – 18. Approximately 150 finalists are invited to regional interviews each year.
The Marshall Scholarship Nomination Committee is comprised of USC faculty: professors Tom Brown (chair), McKinley Blackburn, Melissa Nolan and Doug Thompson.
National Fellowships and Scholar Programs provides support for Marshall Scholarship applicants. Students interested in learning more should contact USC’s national fellowships team.