From King’s to Cutting-Edge Chemistry: Careers Talk with OV Dr Jonathan Cox

Thank you to OV Dr Jonathan Cox (W 80-83), who kindly returned to King’s this month to speak with pupils from across the year groups about his career in Chemistry and the options they too might have in the sector.

Jonathan is currently a lecturer in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Bath. Prior to that, he had undertaken both his BSc and PhD in Chemistry at Durham University before moving to Cambridge where he was a postdoctoral research assistant in the Chemistry Department. Onwards to the MRC Centre for Protein Engineering, where, with 2018 Nobel Prizewinner Sir Greg Winter, Jonathan cloned human antibody genes for therapeutic antibodies. At Bath, amongst other things, Jonathan invented a colourful educational magnetic model of DNA, and discovered various tricks that sharks use to detect scent. The shark work is on display at the Natural History Museum, London.

Jonathan’s talk, including his time at King’s, was orchestrated to link throughout to chemistry, which the attending Chemists hugely enjoyed.

Following his presentation, the pupils asked a variety of questions, both about Jonathan’s own work and also about working in the sector generally and options open to scientists. Jonathan was very impressed by the pupils’ questions and enthusiasm.

Jonathan then had a brief walk around the site with Head of Alumni Relations, Hannah Sparrey, to see King’s as it is today (he especially liked the Matthew Armstrong Library facilities), before heading back to the station for his return train to Bath.

We are grateful to Jonathan for his time inspiring future King’s scientists.