Professor Judy Hirst MA, DPhil, FRSC

Professor of Biogical Chemistry at The University of Cambridge and Deputy Director of the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit.

Class of: 1990

Judy studied A Levels in Chemistry, Biology and Maths at Greenhead College from 1988 to 1990.

Following this, Judy’s academic success went from strength to strength. As an undergraduate, Judy attended St John’s College, Oxford to read Chemistry and following her graduation, decided to remain in Oxford to study for a Doctor of Philosophy researching mechanisms of catalysis in complex enzymes.

Judy then did postdoctoral work at The Scripps Research Institute in California for two years, before taking a position at The Medical Research Council in Cambridge.

Currently, Judy is a Professor of Biogical Chemistry at The University of Cambridge, as well as Director of the MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Head of a research group, consisting of PhD students and postdoctoral scientists, Dean of College and Director of Studies in Chemistry at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. An extremely impressive array of professions!

Judy was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) this year, and shortly after was also awarded an Interdisciplinary Prize of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC). 

Reflecting on her time at Greenhead College, Judy said:

‘I was happy there, it was an excellent college and the teaching was high quality. It was also a supportive environment and it got me on to where I wanted to go’.