(Medical Sciences Tripos, m.1979)

Jonathan Mant is Professor of Primary Care Research at the University of Cambridge, where he leads the Cardiovascular Research Group.

He is a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences and an Emeritus National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator. He leads or co-leads three current programmes of research funded by NIHR which focus on: screening for atrial fibrillation to prevent stroke; adapting and evaluating a self-management intervention to address post-stroke fatigue; and developing and evaluating a self-management intervention to ameliorate breathlessness in people with long term conditions that affect their breathing.

Jonathan heads up the largest ever randomised clinical trial of screening to detect atrial fibrillation (AF), a common heart condition, particularly in the over 70s, which increases the risk of stroke, heart attack and dementia. The trial is a major milestone in preventive healthcare, which is expected to shape the future of atrial fibrillation screening, both within the UK and internationally.

Jonathan came up to Corpus in 1979, preferring the smaller cohort of four medics at Corpus versus the 30 plus “serious medics” who went to Caius (which rejected him).

“When touring the colleges I remember Dr Peter Lewis, the Director of Medical Studies at Corpus, he was an absolute stalwart and a lovely man. I also met the Senior Tutor Dr Richard Bainbridge, they just seemed really pleasant and nice.

“As with most people, when I arrived a bit of self-doubt crept in, I was thinking am I really good enough to do this. Maybe they’ve made a mistake, maybe I’m not bright enough to fit in here. But I did, and I loved it. I remember walking down King’s Parade thinking wow, this is amazing. People look back on the late ‘70s and early ‘80s as dark times but for me they were idyllic.

“I loved that there was so much in Cambridge, I loved the collegiate system, and I formed close friendships with the other Corpus medics, plus many friends who weren’t medics. I think that is something that Cambridge offers that other universities don’t so much. Your peer group extends beyond your course, especially in a small college like Corpus, where you naturally socialise beyond your subject area.

“The porters were universally great! I remember Mr Jaggard was Head Porter while I was there, he commanded a lot of respect but was a nice guy, as was Mr Humphries, the Second Porter, but he was a little softer with a memorable Welsh accent (I am half Welsh, but no trace of accent myself).”

Like many freshers, Jonathan dabbled in rowing during his first year, rowing in Fairbanks. “It was fun, but I was a pretty lousy rower and I couldn’t handle all the early starts. I remember in first year, running down to the river from Corpus and then back in time for lectures. I enjoyed it but it wasn’t for me.”

After completing his Medical Sciences degree at Corpus in 1982, Jonathan did his clinical training at Guy’s Hospital in London, then four years of hospital medicine, before opting to go into public health medicine.

While training in public health, he took up a clinical lectureship at the University of Oxford working under Professor Martin Vessey, now Emeritus Professor of Public Health at Oxford, researching the long-term health effects of the oral contraceptive pill. Whilst in this role he was attached to the Oxfordshire Health Authority, where he was responsible for developing the stroke strategy for the area, which led to him researching cardiovascular disease within the community. Five years later, he moved to the University of Birmingham as a Senior Lecturer where his work focused on supporting GPs to help prevent, and care for patients with, cardiovascular disease. After 11 years in the Midlands Jonathan returned to Cambridge to become Chair of Primary Care Research in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the University.

“I really enjoyed my time at Corpus, and I felt the College gave me a lot. I feel I’ve been lucky in terms of the income I get, so I give to several charities including Corpus. I hope others can have a similar experience to me. I think the work Corpus is doing towards widening participation is really important, Cambridge needs to do more of this.”