Alumni
Alumnus makes a difference with remdesivir As a third-year undergrad in Natural Sciences, Richard Mackman gradually realised what he wanted to do: “I wanted to create something as a chemist that would make a difference,” he says. And with the development of remdesivir, he has. Richard had never forgotten how his school chemistry teacher had described his work on a new cancer treatment. “The science was amazing to me, that chemists could manipulate compounds to change their medicinal properties. By my third year I had a singular vision – I wanted to do medicinal chemistry and drug discovery.” Now, as Vice President of Medicinal Chemistry at Gilead Sciences, Richard has achieved his goal with the development of remdesivir, which was first used against Ebola and has recently been approved for Covid-19 treatment by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Richard feels lucky to have made it to Cambridge in the first place. His comprehensive school in West Yorkshire did not have a record of sending students to Oxford and Cambridge. However, the Head of Chemistry encouraged Richard to look at both universities.
Richard at his desk in Gilead Sciences. traditions and talent. “You come from a school where you are a bright student at the top of the class, and then find when you arrive here you are just middle of the road – that can be challenging and make you wonder if it was a good decision.”
Richard particularly liked the Natural Sciences tripos at Cambridge and decided to apply to Jesus. “The Head arranged for my chemistry teacher David Morris, a Cambridge alum, to help me prepare for the exam. David taught me the special chemistry course after school, all without charging my parents,” Richard recalls gratefully.
However, Richard soon became captivated by organic chemistry. Perhaps this has something to do with his Chemistry supervisor at Jesus, Professor Ian Paterson, an organic chemist known for his work on the synthesis of biologically active natural products. “I remember feeling very intimidated at first, but Ian’s great because his approach really puts you at ease,” says Richard. “Everything I know about organic chemistry I pretty much learned from Ian.
Richard came up to Jesus in 1985. He had chosen Natural Sciences because it allowed him to explore different subjects. “At Cambridge I liked that I didn’t have to limit myself to just one subject straight away. Coming to Cambridge from a comprehensive school background, Richard felt intimidated and awed by the
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