St John's College News
Driverless cars working together can speed up traffic by 35 percent
"Autonomous cars could fix a lot of different problems associated with driving in cities, but there needs to be a way for them to work together"A fleet of driverless cars working together to keep traffic moving smoothly can improve overall traffic flow by at least 35 percent, researchers have shown. The researchers from the University of Cambridge including Michael He, a second year Mathematics undergraduate from St John's, programmed a small fleet of miniature robotic cars to drive on a multi-lane track and observed how the…read more‘Marvels of modern life’ created by Johnians get national recognition with Royal Mail stamps
"The UK is a global engineering powerhouse with many world firsts developed here"The Raspberry Pi computer and a synthetic bone-graft are among the feats of engineering from the past 50 years being celebrated by the Royal Mail in a new set of stamps. The 10 stamps feature ‘marvels of modern life’ created by British engineers and highlight inventions in medicine, travel, and infrastructure. Dr Dame Sue Ion, British engineer and judge for the Royal Academy of Engineering…read moreTony nominations for ‘fiercely gripping’ play by St John’s graduate
The production opened on Broadway to rave reviews after a successful run in London's West EndA play set in Northern Ireland during the Troubles and written by an alumnus of St John’s has been nominated for nine of America’s most important theatre awards. Jez Butterworth’s critically acclaimed Broadway play The Ferryman has picked up nominations for Best Play for Butterworth, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role for Paddy Considine and Best Direction for Sam Mendes. The family…read moreSt John’s marks 150 year anniversary of famous College Chapel
A programme of special services will take place on Sunday, May 12Celebrations have begun to mark the 150th birthday of the famous Victorian Chapel of St John’s College - an iconic feature of the Cambridge skyline. Designed by Sir George Gilbert Scott, the great Gothic Revival architect, the building replaced a relatively modest Tudor chapel which was itself a rebuilding of that of the 13th century Hospital of St John which predated the College’s foundation in…read moreFrom fractional quantum Hall effect to field-theoretic dualities: Dirac Lecture 2019
Dirac Lecture 2019The annual Dirac Lecture 2019, entitled From fractional quantum Hall effect to field-theoretic dualities, will be given by Professor Dam Thanh Son, University of Chicago. The lecture will take place on Tuesday 14 May at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, Cambridge. The Dirac Lecture, established jointly by St John's College and the University of Cambridge's Department of Applied…read moreResearch centre run by Master of St John’s wins prestigious Royal Society of Chemistry award
"We are proud of the contribution the chemical sciences make to our global community"Academics at The Centre for Misfolding Diseases have been honoured with a Royal Society of Chemistry prize to celebrate their ‘inspirational’ scientific collaboration. The Royal Society of Chemistry’s annual prizes and awards recognise achievements by individuals, teams and organisations in advancing the chemical sciences and supporting chemical scientists. Professor Tuomas Knowles, Sir…read moreCollege nurse campaigning to change UK university allergy rules
"Those who have an anaphylactic reaction are at risk of death if adrenaline is not readily available"A campaign to make it easier for students with severe allergies to have access to lifesaving Epipens is being supported by the on-site nurse at St John’s College. Emma Dellar is fundraising for The Anaphylaxis Campaign which is lobbying for legal changes which would allow Higher Education medical staff to store Epipens and other adrenaline auto injector devices (AAIs) onsite. Staff at UK Higher…read moreDiscovery of RNA transfer through royal jelly could aid development of honey bee vaccines
"Bees share ‘transmissible RNA’ among members of the colony, likely as a way of sharing immunity"A team of researchers including Dr Eric Miska, Fellow at St John’s, have discovered that honey bees are able to share immunity with other bees and to their offspring in a hive by transmitting RNA ‘vaccines’ through royal jelly and worker jelly. The jelly is the bee equivalent of mother’s milk: a secretion used to provide nutrition to worker and queen bee larvae. The findings suggest new ways to…read moreRugby and hockey captains win awards celebrating outstanding sportspeople
The Colours Dinner recognises the exceptional achievements and good character of sporting studentsSt John’s students Charlie Smith and Zengani Nyirenda were honoured with prizes for their significant contributions to College sport at this year’s Annual General Athletics Club Colours Dinner (known as the Colours Dinner). Smith, who captains the men’s rugby team, was presented with the Bob Fuller trophy and Nyirenda, captain of the women’s hockey team, was awarded the Jim Williams trophy by Dr…read moreHow far would you get in University Challenge? Take our quiz to find out
Do you have what it takes to face the famously tough questions? Do you know your geography from your geometry?From left: John-Clark Levin, Rosie McKeown, James Devine-Stoneman and Matt Hazel in the 2018 University Challenge final It’s that time of year again – the nation is gearing up to watch the hotly contested University Challenge final. This time last year University Challenge fever was running high in College as the St John’s team were gearing up for their first ever appearance in a final.…read moreSpy drama Red Joan premieres in cinemas
Red Joan is based on the true story of Melita Norwood who was unmasked as the KGB’s longest-serving British spyThe silver screen adaptation of a novel written by a graduate of St John’s and partly filmed at St John’s is released in cinemas on Friday. Red Joan puts a fictional spin on the true story of Melita Norwood, a woman unmasked as the KGB’s longest-serving British spy when she was 87-years-old. Parisa Taghizadeh © Trademark (Red Joan) Ltd 2018read moreSecret recordings reveal the sexual struggles of Fifties Britain
"And as we try to come to terms with 21st century sexual pressures, it might help to reflect on what this generation went through in the 1950s"How women tried to overcome sexual difficulties at a pivotal moment in Britain's sex history has been studied by Dr Caroline Rusterholz, Historian and College Research Associate at St John’s. She examined incredibly rare audio recordings of Britain’s earliest sexual counselling sessions for the first time. In these recordings women confided painful secrets about their physical discomfort, fears…read more‘Truly exceptional’ John’s academic named as prestigious Schmidt Science Fellow
"We are tremendously excited to welcome this new class to the community of Schmidt Science Fellows. We cannot wait to see what they will accomplish in the years to come"An incoming Research Fellow at St John’s has been named as one of the 20 members of the 2019 class of Schmidt Science Fellows. Kadi Liis Saar was elected as one of our five new Research Fellows that will join St John’s in October 2019. Saar studied Chemical Engineering and Biotechnology via Natural Sciences at Trinity College, Cambridge, before progressing to an MEng (Hons) in Chemical…read moreSt John’s academics nominated in student-led awards for innovative teaching
"The awards are a great opportunity for students to highlight the kinds of teaching and support they value and would like to see more of"Five members of the St John’s community have been shortlisted for the 2019 Cambridge University Students’ Union awards for their commitment to teaching and student support. The annual Cambridge University Students’ Union (CUSU) teaching awards are presented in recognition of outstanding lecturers, supervisors, tutors, and Directors of Studies at the University of Cambridge. Two members of the…read moreSt John’s to welcome exceptional Gates Cambridge Scholars
Nine academically outstanding postgraduate students will be joining the St John’s community later this year as part of the Gates Cambridge Scholars programme. The nine future Johnians were selected by the Gates Cambridge Scholarship Programme from a highly competitive pool of applicants for their academic achievements and their strong commitment to improving the lives of others. They will be…read moreEmma Corrin to play Princess Diana in Netflix smash-hit series The Crown
"I am beyond excited and honoured to be joining The Crown for its fourth season"St John’s alumna Emma Corrin has been cast as Princess Diana in season four of The Crown. The critically acclaimed Netflix drama follows the political rivalries and royal scandals of the reign of The Queen. It has received more than 15 international awards for the cast and crew including the Golden Globe for Best Television Series. Each season of the drama covers several years of the Queen’s…read moreMeet the St John’s Research Fellows 2019
St John's College has elected five exceptional new Research Fellows to join our vibrant academic community. The Research Fellowships provide the opportunity for outstanding researchers early in their careers to carry out independent study in a stimulating and supportive environment. The areas of study of the new academics range from analysing the work of Latin satirists Horace and Persius to…read moreScientists genetically engineer yeast to improve understanding of how cells work
"We used mathematical modelling and genetic modification to edit the cell and retune what its response should be"Researchers have ‘fine-tuned’ a major cell signalling mechanism by rewriting DNA inside yeast cells to control how they respond to their environment. The study, which was published today by Cell, has immediate biotechnology uses but could also have wider implications for healthcare research. It is hoped being able to alter how cells react will help scientists understand how diseased cells…read morePainting of mother of King Henry VII revealed as oldest large-scale portrait of an English woman
“This portrait of Lady Margaret Beaufort is one of the most important portraits of the early 16th century”A portrait of Lady Margaret Beaufort has been named as the first piece of work identified as being painted by 16th century Dutch artist Meynnart Wewyck – solving a 500-year-old mystery. Wewyck was an active member of King Henry VII’s court during his reign and became his preferred painter. But until now the absence of a signed or documented work has made it impossible to attribute paintings…read moreHistorian of medicine admitted as Affiliated Scholar at St John’s
Dr Dobson has held a number of prestigious Research FellowshipsDr Mary Dobson has been made a member of St John’s College. The historian of medicine has wide ranging interests in global health. She read Geography at St. Hugh’s College, University of Oxford, and was awarded a BA with First Class honours in 1976 and a DPhil at Nuffield College, Oxford, in 1982. She is the author of numerous publications ranging from academic articles and monographs…read moreResearchers to sequence 10,000-year-old DNA to decode the evolution of mental health issues
The scientists aim to shed light on the evolution of illnesses such as Alzheimer’s disease and schizophreniaA team of international scientists will analyse the DNA of thousands of ancient human remains to map the genetic origins of neuropsychiatric diseases. Professor Eske Willerslev, a Fellow at St John’s College, University of Cambridge, and his team of international researchers will build one of the largest genomic datasets ever created by sequencing the DNA from bones and teeth with some of the…read moreDean of Chapel shortlisted for international writing award
"All of the shortlisted writers have a deep sense of life as a mysterious gift to be explored. To be named alongside them is wonderful and humbling.”The Reverend Canon Mark Oakley, Dean of Chapel at St John’s, has been shortlisted for the Michael Ramsey Prize for the 'most promising contemporary theological writing from the global Church'. Canon Oakley’s book The Splash of Words: Believing in poetry has been named along with the authors of five other books including Rachel Mann and Keith Eyeons. The Splash of Words argues that belief…read moreFrom race track to Master's Lodge - Sir Christopher rehomes a greyhound
It’s a student’s life for retired racing greyhoundA retired racing greyhound named Jim has taken up residence at St John’s after being adopted by the Master of the College. Four-year-old Jim, whose racing name is Kairi Jem, raced at Henlow Greyhound Stadium and won six races during his career. Since retiring from the track, Jim’s trainer Kelli Windebank has been searching for the perfect home for his retirement and is delighted to have…read moreSkeletons in the Closet at St John's
The exhibition is part of the Science Festival and will take place on Saturday 23 March from 11am-5pmThe bones of men and women buried at a medieval cemetery found underneath the Old Divinity School will feature in a free exhibition held in College as part of the Cambridge Science Festival. Skeletons in the Closet at St John’s will explore the fascination we have had for centuries with human, animal and even insect skeletons. On display will be 15th century manuscripts including College founder…read moreProfessor Serena Best wins award celebrating women in science
Serena Best, Fellow of St John’s College and Professor of Materials Science, has been awarded a Suffrage Science Award for her scientific achievements. The fourth Engineering & Physical Sciences Suffrage Science Awards, held on International Women’s Day, 8 March, saw 12 leading and pioneering female scientists and engineers from around the world presented with awards of hand-crafted…read more