The Winston Churchill Foundation has awarded W.A. Franke Honors College senior Bryce Wilson a 2025 Churchill Scholarship, which supports undergraduate students who wish to pursue a year of master's degree study in science, mathematics and engineering at Cambridge University. 

Only 18 Churchill Scholarships are awarded to students across the United States each year, 16 of which are in science, mathematics and engineering, and two of which are in science policy. 

Image

Wilson will be pursuing a master's degree in clinical neurosciences in the lab of Jelle van den Ameele, a Wellcome Clinical Research Career Development Fellow at the Department of Clinical Neurosciences and MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit at Cambridge. His research will be centered around mitochondrial dysfunction in neural stem cells, looking at the role of genetic and metabolic insults on mitochondrial dynamics in live developing neural stem cells using fruit fly models.  

"This research is attempting to answer some fundamental questions about neural development and function with the hopes of improving our understanding of mitochondrial and neurodegenerative diseases," said Wilson. "I'm super excited to learn new techniques and apply my research background to answer questions in neuroscience and cell biology. Apart from the science, I'm thrilled to be moving to England and I'm excited to explore the historic city of Cambridge." 

The total value of the Churchill scholarship is around $75,000, and covers the cost of tuition, airfare to the UK, visa fees, a generous stipend and the chance to apply for a $4,000 special research grant. 

It has been a big year for Wilson. On top of his studies at the U of A, double majoring in molecular and cellular biology and biochemistry in the College of Science, Wilson has been busy collecting nationally competitive awards.  

In addition to being named a 2025 Churchill Scholar, Wilson also received the prestigious Goldwater and Astronaut Scholarships over the past year. Being selected as a Churchill Scholar was a dream come true for Wilson, who first learned about the scholarship as a freshman and kept it as a goal in the back of his mind ever since.

"I would not be where I am today without the support of some truly inspiring and wonderful mentors," said Wilson. "I'm incredibly thankful to Dr. Sara Lewis and Dr. Michael Kruer who were some of the first people to really get me excited about science and research. Also Dr. Daniela Zarnescu, who welcomed me into her lab during my first semester at UA and truly deepened my passion for neuroscience. Finally, the mentorship of Dr. Andrew Paek over the last 2.5 years has shaped the way I approach research and changed the way I view science. The guidance, independence and support he has given me in the lab has made me the scientist and person I am today." 

The Churchill Scholarship promotes unity between the U.S. and U.K., encouraging students to work together to further advance science and technology. Along with the Churchill Scholarship, there are several scholarships that U of A students can apply for that provide funding for study in the United Kingdom, including the Marshall, Rhodes and Gates Cambridge Scholarships, as well as The Summer Institutes, which is administered by the U.S.-U.K. Fulbright Commission. 

A version of this article originally appeared on the W.A. Franke Honors College website.