Dr Jon Swain
I am an accomplished data scientist with a decade of experience spanning medicinal chemistry, cheminformatics, machine learning, and drug discovery. I combine my expertise in statistical analysis, programming, and cutting-edge AI techniques to tackle complex scientific challenges. With a PhD in Chemistry from the University of Cambridge and hands-on experience in high-impact roles at companies like Veriphi and Vernalis Research, I have delivered transformative solutions, from building machine learning pipelines for drug discovery to automating analytical workflows and deploying scalable software architectures. My work has enhanced decision-making, streamlined processes, and accelerated R&D for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries.
Experience
Veriphi Limited (Auckland, NZ)
- August 2024 – Present: Data Scientist
Vernalis Research (Cambridge, UK)
- January 2024 – August 2024: Senior Scientist (Data Science)
- January 2023 – December 2023: Postdoctoral Data Scientist
University of Auckland (Auckland, NZ)
- 2019 – 2021: Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Education
University of Cambridge (Cambridge, UK)
- 2014 – 2018: PhD in Chemistry
University College, London (London, UK)
- 2010 – 2014: MSci in Chemistry
University of Toronto (Toronto, Canada)
- 2012 – 2013: Undergraduate Exchange
Publications
Oral presentation at the 253rd American Chemical Society annual meeting.
Synthetic Studies Towards the Calcium-Dependent Lipopeptide Antibiotic Cadaside B. N. Kovalenko, J. A. Swain, G. K. Howard, Y. O. Hermant, A. J. Cameron, L. A. Stubbing, M. A. Brimble, Eur. J. Chem., 2022, 28 (70).
The tryptophan connection: Cyclic peptide natural products cross-linked via the tryptophan side chain. J. A. Swain, S. Walker, M. Calvert, D. P. Furkert, M. A. Brimble, Nat. Prod. Rep., 2022, 39, 410.
A Concise Synthetic Strategy Towards the Novel Calcium-Dependent Lipopeptide Antibiotic, Malacidin A and Analogues. N. Kovalenko, G. K. Howard, J. A. Swain, Y. Hermant, A. J. Cameron, G. M. Cook, S. A. Ferguson, L. A. Stubbing, P. W. R. Harris, M. A Brimble, Frontiers in Chemistry, 2021, 9, 421.
Folding and duplex formation in mixed sequence recognition-encoded m-phenylene ethynylene polymers. G. Iadevaia, J. A. Swain, D. Núñez-Villanueva, A. D. Bond and C. A. Hunter, Chemical Science, 2021, 12, 10218.
H-bonded Duplexes Based on a Phenylacetylene Backbone. J. A. Swain, G. Iadevaia, C. A. Hunter, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2018, 140, 11526–11536.
H-Bond Self-Assembly: Folding versus Duplex Formation. D. Núñez-Villanueva, G. Iadevaia, A. E. Stross, M. A. Jinks, J. A. Swain, C. A. Hunter, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2017, 139, 6654–6662.
Cambridge Cheminformatics Consulting 