Harvard Senior Maggie Chen Tapped for Marshall Scholarship

Maggie S. Chen ’22, a Human Developmental and Regenerative Biology concentrator from San Diego, Calif., was selected for the 2022 Marshall Scholarship on Monday.

Chen is one of 41 recipients of this year’s iteration of the 68-year-old scholarship, which funds graduate studies for American students for up to three years at any British institution. According to the British embassy, the program received nearly 1,000 applications this year.

A Cabot House resident, Chen said she was working on her research projects when she “screamed quite loudly” upon seeing the email notifying her of the honor. Chen’s roommate ran down the hall to first check on — and then congratulate — her friend.

“I got to go out and really celebrate with people that I cherish the most,” Chen said. “To share that moment with them was very, very special.”

As a Marshall Scholar, Chen plans to study bioengineering at Imperial College London. She said she is “incredibly excited” to continue working toward her goal of becoming a physician scientist through her studies abroad.

“This just truly represents how lucky and privileged I am to be a part of such a wonderful, kind, compassionate, and supportive Harvard community,” Chen said.

Chen said she was looking forward to experiencing the “spirit of research” in the U.K. and immersing herself in a different country’s culture.

“I’m excited to form over-the-pond research collaborations to learn from some of the best scientists in their fields,” Chen said. “I think it’ll be a great experience to spread my wings a little bit.”

At Harvard, Chen has spent the past three years as a research fellow in the laboratory of Professor Richard T. Lee ’79, who she said was her biggest supporter aside from close friends and family.

“My mentors and friends and colleagues in the laboratory have been so incredibly supportive and have taught me that it’s important not just to be a good scientist, but to also be a good person,” Chen said.

Lee, whose laboratory applies biotechnologies to work toward novel therapies for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases associated with aging, wrote in an emailed statement that Chen is a “brilliant” person.

“Maggie is truly remarkable, not only as a brilliant young investigator but also as a person,” Lee wrote. “Everyone in my department is proud of Maggie.”

—Staff writer Leah J. Teichholtz can be reached at leah.teichholtz@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @LeahTeichholtz.