St John's College News

  1. Post Office scandal judge, espionage historian, and ‘Slow Horses’ TV executive among new Honorary Fellows

    “It is a great pleasure to welcome our new Honorary Fellows in recognition of their outstanding commitment to the progress of communities, society and the planet”
    Seven eminent individuals with expertise ranging from miscarriages of justice, marine climate change, and artificial intelligence to the history of spycraft have been elected as Honorary Fellows of St John’s College.  The seven, all of whom studied at St John’s, have been elected in recognition both of distinction in their fields and of the exceptional impact their work has had nationally…read more

  2. ‘Outstanding’ statistician wins Guy Medal in Silver

    "Richard’s contribution to methodological and theoretical statistics has been truly outstanding, as have his contributions to the statistical profession"
    A St John’s academic has been awarded the Royal Statistical Society’s prestigious Guy Medal in Silver the day after winning an international prize. Professor Richard Samworth, University Professor of Statistical Science and Director of the Statistical Laboratory at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, has been praised for his exceptional contributions to the field of statistics. The St John’s…read more

  3. Fellow wins medal for ‘reshaping’ understanding of statistics

    “Sir David Cox was a Johnian and something of a personal hero of mine, it therefore means a great deal to be awarded this medal named in his honour”
    A ‘stellar’ mathematician from St John’s is one of the first winners of the David Cox Medal for Statistics, which commemorates the work of a ‘giant of a statistician’ and alumnus. Professor Richard Samworth, who is College Lecturer in Pure Mathematics, University Professor of Statistical Science, and Director of the Statistical Laboratory at the Centre for Mathematical Sciences, has been…read more

  4. Oldest rowing club in Cambridge celebrates two centuries of power, passion and prestige

    “Lady Margaret Boat Club’s 200-year legacy is a story of exceptional achievement, not just at St John’s, but in the world of rowing”
    For 200 years Lady Margaret Boat Club has been a powerhouse in rowing, shaping the sport nationally and globally.   Begun in 1825 by 12 members of St John’s, the club is named after Lady Margaret Beaufort, grandmother of Henry VIII, matriarch of the Tudor dynasty, and founder of the College. Lady Margaret Boat Club (LMBC) was the first boat club in Cambridge and remains one of the most…read more

  5. Race and injustice in Plato’s ‘Republic’ to be explored in Newell Classical Event 2025

    US academic to give annual public lecture celebrating the world of Classics
    Race and injustice are the topics of this year’s Newell Classical Event 2025 public lecture at St John’s College. Professor Jackie Murray, Associate Professor of Classics at The State University of New York at Buffalo, will deliver the talk entitled From Kallipolis to Timocracy: Race and Injustice in Plato’s ‘Republic’. The Newell Classical Event, which celebrates the…read more

  6. Spinning, twisted light could power next-generation electronics

    “It’s like working with a Lego set with every kind of shape you can imagine, rather than just rectangular bricks”
    Researchers have advanced a decades-old challenge in the field of organic semiconductors, opening new possibilities for the future of electronics. The researchers, led by the University of Cambridge and the Eindhoven University of Technology, have created an organic semiconductor that forces electrons to move in a spiral pattern, which could improve the efficiency of OLED displays in television…read more

  7. Chapel organ project at Cambridge college will ‘elevate’ sacred music

    “The Willis organ has an authentic voice for playing English repertoire and is the perfect instrument for accompanying the Choir”
    A historic organ originally constructed by ‘Father’ Henry Willis is due to be installed in the Chapel at St John’s College. Organ music has a rich history at St John’s – an organ has been owned by the College since it was founded in 1511, and the world-famous Choir of St John’s has been accompanied by the organ since the Choir began in the 1670s.  ‘Father’ Willis was a pioneering Victorian…read more

  8. Impact of genetics and environmental factors on people’s weight highlighted in 2025 Linacre Lecture

    Pioneering clinician scientist presents College’s historic medical lecture
    Up to 70 per cent of weight differences are genetic, with common variants influencing appetite and metabolism, a pioneering research scientist has explained in a historic lecture at St John’s College. The 2025 Linacre Lecture, titled The biology of eating behaviour, was presented on 11 February by Professor Sadaf Farooqi, a Wellcome Principal Research Fellow and Professor of Metabolism…read more

  9. Family life of powerful Tudor statesman revealed in Burghley Lecture

    Visiting historian gives Burghley Lecture, named after William Cecil, chief adviser to Queen Elizabeth I
    The caring role that Queen Elizabeth I’s most trusted adviser, Lord Burghley, had as a grandfather was the focus of a lecture given at St John’s College, where the young William Cecil arrived as a scholar 490 years ago. The 2025 Lent Term Burghley Lecture, which was presented by historian Dr Susan M Cogan, of Utah State University, on Thursday 30 January in the Old Divinity School, can now be…read more

  10. Solar-powered device captures carbon dioxide from air to make sustainable fuel

    “CO2 is a harmful greenhouse gas, but it can be turned into useful chemicals without contributing to global warming”
    Cambridge researchers have developed a reactor that pulls carbon dioxide directly from the air and converts it into sustainable fuel, using sunlight as the power source. The researchers, led by Professor Erwin Reisner, a Fellow of St John’s College, say their solar-powered reactor could be used to make fuel to power cars and planes, or the many chemicals and pharmaceuticals products we rely on.…read more

  11. Life-changing opportunity for early-career writers with launch of £19k Harper-Wood Award

    Up to £19,215 in funding available for award-holder from 1 October 2025
    St John’s College, Cambridge is offering poets and authors at the start of their careers the chance to spend a paid year overseas with the launch of the prestigious 2025-2026 Harper-Wood Creative Writing and Travel Award for English Poetry and Literature. Applications open on Wednesday 19 February 2025 for the award, which was established by the College in 1949 to inspire an undertaking of…read more

  12. World-renowned Middle East expert to give Hinsley Memorial Lecture 2025

    Dr Elisabeth Kendall, Mistress of Girton College, to speak on ‘The Role of Yemen and the Houthis in the Broader Middle East Conflict’
    An eminent Arabist and expert on the Middle East and Yemen will present the St John’s College Hinsley Memorial Lecture 2025. Dr Elisabeth Kendall, The Mistress of Girton College, University of Cambridge, will give her lecture titled The Role of Yemen and the Houthis in the Broader Middle East Conflict on Monday 17 March at 5.30pm in the College’s Main Lecture Theatre, Old Divinity…read more

  13. Tiny copper ‘flowers’ bloom on artificial leaves for clean fuel production

    “By combining expertise from Cambridge and Berkeley, we’ve developed a system that may reshape the way we produce fuels and valuable chemicals sustainably”
    Tiny copper ‘nano-flowers’ have been attached to an artificial leaf to produce clean fuels and chemicals that are the backbone of modern energy and manufacturing. The researchers from the University of Cambridge and the University of California, Berkeley, led by Dr Virgil Andrei, a Research Fellow at St John’s College, Cambridge, developed a practical way to make hydrocarbons – molecules made of…read more

  14. St John’s academic awarded £4 million grant to ‘think big’ and investigate side effects of modern therapeutics

    “This grant will allow us to understand how our bodies react to these modern medicines”
    Why some people experience adverse reactions to the new-age medicines including Covid-19 vaccinations will be explored in detail thanks to a £4.3 million MRC Programme Grant. Dr Ritwick Sawarkar, College Lecturer and Fellow at St John’s, will lead the research into why some people react to RNA-based therapeutics such as the Covid mRNA vaccines and other medicines. Medical Research…read more

  15. St John’s student named as top University of Cambridge mathematics undergraduate

    “The Mathematical Tripos is famously difficult”
    A position described as "the greatest intellectual achievement attainable in Britain" has been awarded to a student at St John’s College. The Cambridge undergraduate mathematics course, or Mathematical Tripos, is famously difficult and it is considered highly prestigious to be named as the ‘Senior Wrangler’. The Senior Wrangler is the person who achieves the highest overall mark among the…read more

  16. Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital given green light by government

    “Imagine a world where there is no longer a fear of cancer. That’s the world we’re trying to create” 
    Work will soon begin on Cambridge Cancer Research Hospital after it was given the go-ahead this week by the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care.  The new hospital, which is a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust, will transform how cancer is diagnosed and treated, changing the lives of cancer patients across the UK and…read more

  17. PhD student awarded 2025 Cavendish Prize for study that ‘rewrites a law of physics’

    “The opportunity to engage with brilliant researchers has been pivotal in shaping my scientific outlook and contributions”
    A PhD student from St John’s has won a 2025 Cavendish Annual Thesis Prize for his achievements in quantum physics that could advance display and solar technology. Pratyush Ghosh is one of three postgraduates at the University of Cambridge’s Cavendish Laboratory to be presented with the prize, which recognises outstanding achievements in computational, experimental and theoretical physics…read more

  18. Postgraduate palaeontologist and biophysicist receive awards

    Prizes for talented PhD students from St John’s
    Two PhD students at St John’s have been recognised for their innovative research and communication skills.  Princess Aira Buma-at has won a 2024 Palaeontological Association Annual Meeting President’s Prize, the association’s highest award given to PhD students and early-career researchers within a year of achieving their higher degree.  Princess, who is a PhD student in…read more

  19. Free e-book teaches young people about puberty and reproductive health

    “The aim is to excite, inform and educate others about reproduction, impacts of a changing world and our environment, and latest findings” 
    A St John’s academic has launched a free e-book about reproduction and fertility to better educate young people about their body and the impact of lifestyle and the environment on it.  Professor Amanda Sferruzzi-Perri, Professor in Fetal and Placental Physiology and Fellow of St John’s, felt there was a need for information based on the latest scientific evidence after seeing the…read more

  20. Alumni recognised in King’s New Year Honours 2025

    BEM for rowing umpire of 45 years’ standing
    Six members of St John’s including an Olympic rowing umpire, archaeologists specialising in Holocaust and Islamic heritage and other leading educators have been awarded accolades in the King’s New Year Honours 2025. The honours recognise the achievements and public service of people across the UK. David Biddulph, a retired engineer and international rowing umpire, becomes a Medallist of the…read more

  21. ‘Biology of eating behaviour’ to be explored at 2025 Linacre Lecture

    Leading scientist will present historic medical lecture on causes and complications of obesity
    This year’s historic St John’s College Linacre Lecture will be presented by Sadaf Farooqi, a Wellcome Principal Research Fellow and Professor of Metabolism and Medicine at the University of Cambridge. The lecture, titled The biology of eating behaviour, will take place on Tuesday 11 February at 5.30pm in the Main Lecture Theatre of the Old Divinity School. Delivered every year by a…read more

  22. India mourns former Prime Minister as the ‘remarkable’ St John’s alumnus is laid to rest in state funeral

    Manmohan's father said he would be Prime Minister because he “always had his nose in a book”
    Tributes have been paid to Dr Manmohan Singh, the architect of India’s economic transformation, after he died aged 92 on Thursday 26 December 2024.  Singh went from studying under street lamps as a child in India, to coming to Cambridge on a full scholarship, graduating with a First in Economics to leading the world’s biggest democracy for 10 years.  Manmohan Singh was one of 10…read more

  23. Engineer, wildlife cameraman, and investigative journalist recognised for their work improving lives

    Gates Cambridge Scholars ‘make the world a better place in ways no one could have predicted’
    The positive impact three Gates Cambridge Scholars from St John’s have had on the world is being celebrated at a special awards ceremony.  Emma Houiellebecq, Alex Vail and Emily Kassie are among eight University of Cambridge postgraduates and alumni to receive Impact Prizes from the Gates Cambridge Trust as it marks 25 years of its international scholarship programme on Friday 10…read more

  24. College remembers ‘inspiring’ former Dean of Chapel and President, after his death aged 87

    Tributes paid to The Rev’d Dr Andrew Macintosh, ‘a remarkable man and priest’
    An internationally-renowned Hebrew and Bible scholar once described as 'the best preacher in England', has died. The Rev’d Dr Andrew Macintosh, a Life Fellow at St John’s, and former Chaplain, Tutor, Dean of Chapel and President, died on Thursday 5 December 2024. An ordained priest of the Church of England, Dr Macintosh had a long and distinguished academic career. In the 1970s he was…read more

  25. Research Fellow wins second science innovation prize in less than a month

    “It fills me with joy and pride that my home country has decided to recognise the value of my research”
    An Italian early-career researcher at St John’s has been recognised by his home country for his work in neuroscience. Dr Andrea Luppi, a Research Fellow, has been awarded the Italy Made Me 2024 prize in Life Sciences by the Italian Embassy Scientific Office in London. The annual programme honours junior Italian researchers operating in the United Kingdom who received part of their education in…read more