While serving as a graduate student, he and his supervisor Irwin Fridovich were the first to describe the enzymatic activity of superoxide dismutase.
[citation needed] McCord is a past recipient of the Discovery Award from the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine (shared with Irwin Fridovich),[4] the Elliott Cresson Medal, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oxygen Society.
[5] LifeVantage is a Utah-based multilevel marketing company that distributes an antioxidant dietary supplement known as Protandim.
[5] McCord served as chief scientific officer for LifeVantage from June 2011 until September 2012, and then became a member of the company's science advisory board.
[3][13] Under the terms of the separation agreement, McCord was to receive a payment of $1.7 million from the company.