St John's College News
Women of the JCR
"I love St John’s and the people in it, but there are things about the view people hold of the College that I want to change”When Sharon Chen Cooper, the first female undergraduate student to be admitted to St John’s, arrived in 1982 the flag was flying at half-mast and the Head Porter was wearing a black armband. Jo Tynan meets the female members of the Junior Combination Room (JCR) committee to find out how life has changed. Trekking across the courts in search of a toilet is thankfully a thing of the past for…read moreNewell Classics Event 2019
What Have the Romans Ever Done For Us?The Newell Classics Event 2019, celebrating the classical world, will take place at St John’s College on 2 May. The lecture will be given by Walter Scheidel and is entitled: ‘What Have the Romans Ever Done For Us?’ Walter Scheidel will be presenting his hypothesis that the fall of Rome was the making of Europe, and will be discussing it with Professor Sheilagh Ogilvie. Walter Scheidel is…read moreAdams Prize winners 2018-19 announced
The Adams Prize commemorates John Couch Adams’s role in the discovery of the planet NeptuneThe University of Cambridge has announced the winners of one of its oldest and most prestigious prizes. The Adams Prize is awarded jointly each year by the Faculty of Mathematics and St John’s College to UK-based researchers, under the age of 40, doing first class international research in the Mathematical Sciences. This year’s topic was 'The Mathematics of Networks', and the prize has been…read morePhD student at St John’s selected as one of the 2019 ‘New Generation Thinkers’
“More than ever we need the new insights that come from arts and humanities researchers to help us navigate the complexities of our globalised world"Ten researchers from across the UK have been announced as ‘New Generation Thinkers’ by BBC Radio 3, BBC Arts and the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) today. From techno music in Berlin to the post-war ‘rag trade’, and divisive dams to fake news, the researchers from across the UK will have the opportunity to communicate their research by making programmes for radio and television…read moreCambridge University’s highest degrees for ‘distinguished research’ awarded to two St John’s Fellows
The LittD and ScD are highest level of degrees given by the University and only a handful of them are awarded each yearThe President of St John’s and Professor Eske Willerslev both received the highest possible academic accolade from the University of Cambridge at a ceremony on Saturday. Dr Frank Salmon, President of St John’s, and Professor Eske Willerslev, College Supervisor in Zoology, were awarded a Doctor of Letters (LittD) and a Doctor of Science degree (ScD) respectively. The LittD and ScD are highest…read moreDecade of academic excellence celebrated as St John's marks 10 years of Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarships
"The values, the ideas and the discipline instilled in me at Cambridge have lasted through my life”Ten years ago the first Dr Manmohan Singh Scholarship students arrived at St John’s – now 19 scholars have completed their doctoral studies and another four are in residence. Dr Singh was Prime Minister of India from 2004 to 2014. He is a graduate and Honorary Fellow of St John’s College where he was awarded a BA in Economics in 1957. It was an experience that had a profound impact on him, and…read moreHarper-Wood Studentship Applications 2019
Harper-Wood Studentship Applications 2019Applications are now being accepted for the Harper-Wood Studentship for English Poetry and Literature 2019. This one-year Studentship is an opportunity for a student who has graduated from any British University (i.e. England, Scotland and Wales), Ireland, the Commonwealth or the United States of America to pursue their own creative writing project. Previous holders include Thom Gunn, Michael…read morePhysicists get thousands of semiconductor nuclei to do ‘quantum dances’ in unison
"This is a Holy Grail breakthrough for quantum dot research – both for quantum memory and fundamental research"A team of Cambridge researchers have found a way to control the sea of nuclei in semiconductor quantum dots so they can operate as a quantum memory device. Quantum dots are crystals made up of thousands of atoms, and each of these atoms interacts magnetically with the trapped electron. If left alone to its own devices, this interaction of the electron with the nuclear spins, limits the…read moreWhen real men wore feathers
“We’ve all heard the phrase ‘to put a feather in your cap’ but Schwarz took this to another level”The recreation of a Renaissance headdress reveals how European men harnessed the seductive power of ostrich feathers. From burlesque dancers to catwalk models and Hollywood stars, ostrich feathers have helped countless women steal the limelight. But this wasn’t always the case. In the sixteenth century, it was Europe’s men who wielded the sensual plume to increase their fame and fortune. Now,…read moreButterflies are genetically wired to choose a mate that looks just like them
The male butterflies were introduced to female butterflies of two species and were scored for their levels of sexual interestMale butterflies have genes which give them a sexual preference for a partner with a similar appearance to themselves, according to new research. A team of academics from the University of Cambridge, in collaboration with the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute in Panama, observed the courtship rituals and sequenced the DNA from nearly 300 butterflies to find out how much of the genome was…read moreGeologist’s Association announce St John’s student as winner of £1000 thesis award
The national competition is run by the Geologist’s Association for postgraduate students studying earth sciencesGraduate student Caroline Soderman has won the 2019 Curry MSc Prize for her ‘outstanding’ work on the origins of Iceland's volcanic hotspot. She is the first student from the University of Cambridge to win the prize since its launch in 2009. Caroline Soderman (far left) with colleagues from the Department of Earth Sciences in Scotland The national competition is run by the…read moreOlympic athlete, leading biochemist and The Duke of Cambridge elected as Honorary Fellows
"Their outstanding contributions to society resonate strongly with the ethos of St John’s"Five distinguished people have been named as Honorary Fellows of St John’s College in recognition of their exceptional contributions in their respective fields. World champion rower Annamarie Phelps, businessman Mark Coombs, chair of the Food Standards Agency Heather Hancock, Biochemist Sheena Radford and The Duke of Cambridge have all been announced as Honorary Fellows of St John’s College,…read moreStudent wins prestigious award from the Serbian Government for contributions to science
Previous winners include inventor and engineer Nikola Tesla and political activist Helen KellerGraduate student Filip Bošković received the Serbian Svetosavska Prize in recognition of his ‘innovative work and research’ during his undergraduate degree. At a ceremony in Belgrade Bošković, who is now studying for an MPhil in Physics at St John’s, was presented with the award by Mladen Šarčević, the Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development. Filip Bošković (centre) at…read more‘Transformational’ biotech company receives $31m backing from investors
"We are always looking for the brightest thinkers and we have found that in Fluidic Analytics"Biotechnology firm Fluidic Analytics has raised $31m - £23.5m - to continue developing products to unlock the biology behind major diseases. Fluid Analytics was started in 2015 by Dr Andrew Lynn, a graduate of St John’s, and Professor Tuomas Knowles, a College Fellow, to gain advanced knowledge of how biology unfolds in daily life by developing products for characterising proteins and their…read moreCompany founded by St John’s academics to combat Alzheimer's secures £18 million funding
"Protein misfolding diseases are one of the most critical global healthcare challenges of the 21st century"A biopharmaceutical company set-up to develop drugs to treat related illnesses such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s Diseases has announced that it has completed a Series A financing round. Wren Therapeutics raised a total of £18 million from an international syndicate led by The Baupost Group with participation from LifeForce Capital and a number of high net worth individual investors…read morePlacentas adapt when mothers have poor diets or low oxygen during pregnancy
"Mitochondria have a remarkable ability to adapt and compensate for environmental impacts"Cambridge researchers have discovered the placenta regulates how much oxygen and nutrients it transports to babies during challenging pregnancies in a study using mice to model conditions in the womb. The placenta is the least understood organ in mammals, like humans, and is notoriously difficult to study in pregnant women. But its ability to function properly is vital as it impacts on pregnancy…read moreHistorical scenes in Les Misérables brought to life with help from St John’s Fellow
"I think the overall production of Les Misérables is faithful to the original and to the historical period, and it looks fantastic."A BBC adaptation of Victor Hugo’s tale of poverty, injustice and love in 19th century France had expert advice before it hit our television screens. Professor Robert Tombs, French historian and Fellow at St John’s, worked as a historical advisor on the new drama to help bring 19th century France to life – a period Tombs specialises in. He provided the production team with an accurate picture of…read moreJohnian lawyers named as new ‘silks’ in Queen’s Counsel appointments
"I am confident that those appointed today truly deserve to be Queen’s Counsel"Three alumni of St John’s described as ‘truly excellent advocates’ have been announced as Queen’s Counsels (QCs). Alec Haydon, Fionn Pilbrow and James Todd were awarded the honorific titles by the Queen on the advice of the Lord Chancellor following consideration by the independent Queen’s Counsel Selection Panel. Queen’s Counsels (QCs) are also known as ‘silks’ because traditionally QCs…read moreFormer Senior Bursar of St John’s dies age 87
A well-known figure in Cambridge, Dr Johnson served the community for many yearsThe St John’s community is deeply saddened to announce that Dr Christopher Johnson, Fellow, died on January 5 2019. Born in Blackpool on January 8 1931, Dr Johnson died just three days short of his 88th birthday. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School in Blackburn before he came to Selwyn College, Cambridge, in 1950 as an undergraduate. After completing his PhD, the talented…read moreProfessor Serena Best to give the Linacre Lecture 2019
The annual Linacre Lecture will take place at St John’s College on 5 February and will be given by Professor Serena Best. Professor Best’s lecture is entitled: ‘Scaffolds for Tissue Regeneration: Do We Understand the "Hole" Story?’ Serena Best is a Professor of Materials Science and a Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge. She is the Deputy Head of the Department of Materials Science and…read moreJohnians recognised in Queen’s New Year Honours
"I have made it my mission in retirement to do what I can: it’s great fun and seems to be meeting a need”A graduate of St John’s who is spending his retirement mapping inshore areas of Scotland to make it safer for sailors to navigate has been made an MBE. Retired engineer Robert Bradfield was recognised in the Queen’s New Year Honours for services to Navigation and Maritime Safety on the West Coast of Scotland. Bradfield has been remapping inshore areas in Scotland, some of which haven’t been…read moreAndrew Chamblin Memorial Lecture 2019
The thirteenth Andrew Chamblin Memorial Lecture, entitled "What Are We? Where Do We Come From? Where Are We Going?", will be given by Professor John Ellis FRS at 5pm on Wednesday 20 March in Lady Mitchell Hall, Sidgwick Avenue, Cambridge. Admission is free, but booking is required via the website https://tinyurl.com/andrewchamblinlecture2019read moreThe ‘forgotten pandemic’ that killed more than 50 million people
"Spanish flu killed more people in 25 weeks than HIV/AIDS killed in 25 years."Celebrations marking the end of the First World War 100 years ago were cut short by the onslaught of a devastating disease – the 1918-19 influenza pandemic. Its early origins and initial geographical starting point remain a mystery but in the summer of 1918, there was a second wave of a far more virulent form of the influenza virus than anyone could have anticipated. Soon dubbed ‘Spanish Flu’…read more‘Owner-driven’ reconstruction is key to rebuilding communities affected by disasters in Global South
"We have found over and over again that local residents should not only be involved but should take ‘ownership’ of the process of planning and constructing their homes"Homelessness caused by tsunamis, flooding and civil war offers opportunities to build safer housing and improve long-term development if local communities take ownership of the process – according to a Cambridge researcher. Jaime Royo-Olid, a PhD candidate at St John’s College, University of Cambridge, has edited a new book titled Building, owning and belonging that brings together 40 years of…read moreBabylonian story of revenge made into world’s first original-language film
“As a story of three-fold revenge, The Poor Man of Nippur is one people today can easily relate to"A violent and comic story of revenge from 700 BC has been dramatised for the first time – in an ancient language that has not been spoken for 2,000 years. Students led by Dr Martin Worthington, a Fellow at St John’s College, University of Cambridge, have made the world’s first film in Babylonian based on a 2,700-year-old poem. The Poor Man of Nippur is a 160-line Babylonian story about a pauper…read more