Research Overview

I study how the composition and internal dynamics of planetary bodies shape their geologic and atmospheric evolution. My research connects planetary materials and interiors to surfaces and atmospheres, with an emphasis on volatiles, magmatism, outgassing, and rocky-world evolution. I am especially interested in cross-disciplinary research at the intersection of planetary science, cosmochemistry, and astrophysics, combining laboratory experiments and numerical modeling to connect the materials and processes of our Solar System with exoplanets and other planetary systems.

View my CV
Contact: nmcgregor@ucsc.edu

Current Research

• Venus interior dynamics. StagYY mantle convection simulations to constrain mantle viscosity, convective vigor, and rates of true polar wander on Venus, informed by Magellan gravity data.
• Meteorite outgassing and exoplanet atmospheres. Heating experiments on chondritic meteorites to constrain outgassed species and redox evolution, feeding into interior–atmosphere models that link bulk compositions of terrestrial exoplanets to observable secondary atmospheres.

Research Interests

• Origins and chemical evolution of planetary systems, including presolar grains, primitive materials, and polluted white dwarfs
• Experimental petrology and mineralogical, chemical, and isotopic analysis of extraterrestrial materials
• Thermal, magmatic, and volcanic evolution of rocky and icy worlds
• Volatiles, redox, outgassing, and surface–atmosphere interactions
• Coupled interior–surface–atmosphere evolution, climate, and habitability, particularly for Venus and Venus-like exoplanets

Publications

McGregor, N. J., Nimmo, F., Gillmann, C., Golabek, Louren¸co, D. L. (In prep). Rates of true polar wander on Venus driven by mantle convection. Geophys. Res. Lett.
McGregor, N. J., Thompson, M. A., and Telus, M. (In prep). Linking rocky exoplanetary atmospheres and interiors through meteorite outgassing. Nature Astronomy.
McGregor, N. J., Nimmo, F., Gillmann, C., Golabek, G. J., Plattner, A. M., and Conrad, J. W. (2025). Probing the viscosity of Venus’s mantle from dynamic topography at Baltis Vallis. J. Geophys. Res. Planets.

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About me

I grew up on my family’s fourth-generation farm in Filer, Idaho, and was the first in my family to leave the farm to pursue higher education. I completed my undergraduate studies at the College of Southern Idaho and Boise State University, earning a B.S. in Physics and Astrophysics and B.A. in Political Science and, with minors in Applied Mathematics and Criminal Justice. I am currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Earth and Planetary Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz, working with Francis Nimmo and Myriam Telus.