Newton, Darwin, Einstein... and John McCafferty

IT'S NOT every day we hear that a Glasgow Irishman has received the highest honour within the world of science, but that recently came true.

In London, John McCafferty recently celebrated his inauguration into the Fellowship of The Royal Society and the Academy of Medical Sciences where his name is now documented alongside men of equal stature—Sir Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein.

John—a Gorbals boy who spent his summers in Doire na Mainseár, Donegal with his five brothers—studied at Strathclyde University but found himself in London in the 1980s as he followed his path into the world of molecular biology. There he met his wife, Patricia, from Kildare and settled in Cambridge.

Losing a job prompted John to start his own company and he became co-founder of Cambridge Antibody Technology (CAT), building one of the UK’s most successful biotechnology companies who developed Humira, which became the world’s best-selling anti-inflammatory medicine. He also founded two other biotechnology companies, IONTAS Ltd and Maxion Therapeutics Ltd.

When John was asked how it felt to be in the same company as renowned scientists like Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein and Charles Darwin, he replied: “When you put it like that, I feel a strong sense of ‘imposter syndrome”! It is truly an honour to be listed as a Fellow of The Royal Society (FRS), an organisation stretching back 360 years that included these ‘gods of science.’

“Growing up I always had an interest in science. Newton questioned the ‘plain as your nose’ fact that things fell to the ground leading to a greater understanding of the universe beyond an apple falling to the ground.

“I was in awe of people like Albert Einstein who took the thinking of the laws of physics to a new level, making several non-intuitive predictions that turned out to be true.

“Darwin—who had studied to be a clergyman—questioned the ‘religion-based’ explanation for the diversity of life to come up with his theory of evolution.

“Other great FRS figures include Scottish physicist and mathematician James Clark Maxwell (theory of electromagnetism and Alan Turing (father of computing).

“Apart from the science I also enjoyed reading about the human stories behind these people in books like Electric Universe by David Bodanis and Breakthrough by Marcus Chown. They all shared an approach of ‘thinking outside the box’ which I found inspiring.”

When reflecting on the difference this award might make to his career and long-term vision, John added: “I currently have two jobs, one as chief technology officer at Maxion—a company I formed five years ago—and the other is running a research group at the Department of Medicine, University of Cambridge. I am past retirement age and I keep saying ‘this time next year I will only have one job,’ but realise I have been saying it for the past three or four years! I am still driven by the same love of science I have always had, but I hope the FRS might help in the much needed quest for ongoing funding.”

John also spoke about the specific parts of his research and discoveries over the years that stand out as being particularly rewarding

“I was inventor of a technology called antibody phage display that allows the generation of human antibody drugs,” he said. “It earned a Nobel prize for my co-inventor Greg Winter, led to the development of Humira—which was the world’s biggest selling drug for many years—and approval of at least 14 other antibody drugs."

The reaction of John’s family—both in Glasgow and Donegal—with regard to the news, was, understandably, one of immense pride.

“I think my family felt sense of great pride that one of their numbers made a significant contribution to science and medicine,” John said.

Danny, John’s younger brother, agreed saying: “John was always clever and our parents fought for him to go to St Mungo’s after primary. He found something he loved in science and worked hard at it. Our parents would be pleased for him and his well-deserved success, as we all are.

“To be in such exalted company as Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein as Fellow of the Royal Society is an incredible achievement for a boy from the Gorbals and the Rosses, but he remains the same guy who loves a pint with family and friends in the Laurieston, Gorbals or Leo’s in Meenaleck. Humility was deeply embedded in us all, particularly by our mother, so he’s never likely to lose sense of himself.

Cousin Anne Fox (née Greene) added: “John’s not just a brainiac, but he’s great craic too.”