I will defend my Ph.D. in Spring 2027 and am seeking postdoctoral positions beginning Summer or Fall 2027.

View my CV

Contact: nmcgregor@ucsc.edu

Research

Research Overview
I study the origin and evolution of rocky bodies using a combination of modeling and laboratory experiments. My current work links interior processes to observable surface and atmospheric signatures on Venus and rocky exoplanets. My primary research interest is the chemical, isotopic, and elemental evolution of the early Solar System and beyond. I am particularly interested in interdisciplinary approaches that bridge planetary science and astrophysics through geochemical constraints.

Current Research

• Venus interior dynamics. Mantle convection simulations to constrain mantle viscosity, convective vigor, and rates of true polar wander.
• Meteorite outgassing and exoplanet atmospheres. Heating experiments on chondritic meteorites to constrain outgassed species and redox evolution, linking bulk composition to secondary atmospheres.

Research Interests

• Experimental petrology
• Isotopic systems to trace planetary processes in rocky bodies e.g., differentiation, outgassing, mass loss, and volatile partitioning and fractionation
• Mineralogical, chemical, and isotopic analysis of extraterrestrial materials
• Thermal evolution modeling, thermodynamic modeling, and aqueous geochemical modeling
• Geochemistry of worlds beyond the Solar System

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.A. in Political Science and a B.S. in Physics and Astrophysics, 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.