I obtained my first degree in Biochemistry from Christ Church, Oxford where I did my research project with Peter Goodford working on his GRID program - one of the first methods for computational drug design; this inspired my interest in computational biology and bioinformatics. I stayed in Oxford to do my D.Phil with Tony Rees and developed the first automated program for modelling antibodies. This was later commercialized by Oxford Molecular (OML).

After a brief stint with Willie Taylor at NIMR, I became self-employed, helping OML with commercialization of my software, and writing other scientific software including for the National Grid Company and Bradwell Nuclear Power Station. I then spent two months working at the DKfz in Heidelberg before joining Janet Thornton's group at UCL. I then became a temporary lecturer at UCL seconded 4 days a week to a spinout company, Inpharmatica, before moving to the University of Reading as a lecturer in 1999 and returning to UCL as a lecturer then senior lecturer in 2004.