Chris McGuigan (BSc Chemistry, 1979; PhD Chemistry, 1982)

March 2026 marks the tenth anniversary of the passing of Professor Chris McGuigan, who after graduating from the University with a first class honours degree and PhD in Chemistry became one of the UK’s leading scientists in the field of anti-cancer drug discoveries.

I first met Chris at the Fresher’s weekend in September 1976. We were both Chemistry students and soon became good friends. He was the first Yorkshireman that I’d met and he introduced me to the delights of putting gravy on my chips! As undergraduates we would usually go to the Mermaid Bar in the Union at lunchtimes – being from Birmingham I’d have a glass of mild ale while Chris would have a coke. We went on to share a flat with three other students at Griffin Close (University accommodation) in Northfield.

It soon became apparent to me that by anyone’s standards Chris was an extremely gifted student. Combined with his very strong work ethic he was always destined to be an exceptional scientist. I can see now that for his age he was a very clear, focused thinker as well. One thing that Chris didn’t like was to fail (which didn’t happen very often!) and when as partners in a Physics subsidiary practical we obtained a low mark it took a while for him to accept.

Such was his reputation Chris could have gained his PhD with any group at the University, but he chose to work in the Nucleic Acids Group led by Professor Stan Jones.

In 1982 while I remained at Birmingham to work as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Chris went abroad before returning to the UK to work at Exeter and Southampton Universities before settling at his final academic home in Cardiff. Over the years we gradually lost touch although we did plan to meet when Chris was at Southampton and I was living in Portsmouth, but my work commitments at the time scuppered that! However I did try to keep abreast of what he was doing and remember him being interviewed on BBC Radio 4 around the time of the millennium.

I learned of Chris’s premature passing 10 years ago with a heavy heart. As well as the tragic loss for his family, colleagues and friends in the scientific community had lost a true pioneer in the world of drug design.

It was a fitting tribute to him that Cardiff University initiated the Chris McGuigan Drug Discovery Awards to celebrate his scientific legacy, which includes 225 scientific papers and 100 patent applications, while four of his compounds advanced to the human trials stage.

I have a lot of happy memories of nearly 10 years at Birmingham University and Chris was responsible for many of those. Many thanks to Justine Jenkins at Cardiff University for her help with this article.

RIP Chris.

Roger Drew (BSc Chemistry, 1979; PhD Chemistry, 1983)