Submitted by Yan Pan on Thu, 21/05/2026 - 09:00
Professor John McCafferty and James Nathan have been recognised for their outstanding contributions to advancing medical science, each responsible for pioneering discovery research and translating innovation into tangible benefits for patients and the wider public.
They join an esteemed Fellowship of over 1,500 researchers who are at the heart of the Academy’s work to nurture scientific talent and shape research and health policy in the UK and worldwide.
Professor John McCafferty
John McCafferty is an Affiliated Professor at Cambridge Institute for Therapeutic Immunology and Infectious Disease (CITIID), Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge. John’s research seeks to address the blight of snakebite envenomation by generating venom-neutralising recombinant antibodies.
John is known for his pioneering role in the invention, development and application of phage antibody technology, and as a scientific founder of Cambridge Antibody Technology. The technology has enjoyed widespread uptake in the biotechnology sector with at least fifteen approved antibody drugs from phage display including Humira, which cumulatively is the world’s biggest selling drug. He has also founded two other start-ups: IONTAS Ltd, who have developed several antibody drugs currently in clinical trials with commercial partners, and Maxion Therapeutics Ltd, to develop ion channel-blocking antibodies, a previously intractable target class.
Find out more about John’s work
These prestigious awards recognise John’s life-long commitment to high quality science and the application of that science to improve human health. John continues to drive science to develop new therapeutics both through his work in the Department and through start-up companies. John has been generous in sharing his knowledge and experience with the next generation of researchers through our Early Researcher Development Scheme.
Professor Menna Clatworthy, CITIID Director & Professor Duncan Richards, Head of Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge
Professor James Nathan
James Nathan is Professor of Respiratory Medicine at CITIID and Respiratory Specialty Lead and Director of Postgraduate Education within the Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge. His research has fundamentally advanced understanding of how cells sense oxygen and nutrients, pioneering genetic screening approaches that reveal how metabolism and oxygen-sensing intersect to control inflammation and tumour growth. His work has shown how metabolites hijack oxygen-sensing machinery to drive cancer and reprogram immune cells, with mitochondrial lipoylation emerging as a key regulatory node in this response.
James has also uncovered new oxygen-sensing pathways, including a system to control cholesterol production with broad clinical implications for cardiorespiratory disease. Currently, his lab works on understanding how chromatin marks can be selectively modified by changes in metabolite or oxygen abundance.
Read more about James’ recent research
Many congratulations to James on this Fellowship recognising his longstanding and significant contributions to clinical science. In addition to his important scientific contributions, James also makes a vital contribution to the success of the Department through his work on postgraduate education and industrial collaborations.
Professor Menna Clatworthy, CITIID Director & Professor Duncan Richards, Head of Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge
