Meet our Team: Blair Johnston

In this month's CMAC Meet Our Team series, we celebrate Blair Johnston, CMAC’s Associate Director and Professor of Pharmaceutical Data Science.

For over a decade, Blair has been an integral part of our team, continually pushing the boundaries of data science in pharmaceutical research. With research interests in data science, digitalisation, modelling, and simulation, Blair has taken a leading role in deploying CMAC's data systems and supporting various aspects of the expanding digital research agenda.

Blair is from the town of Carluke in South Lanarkshire, located just a short drive southeast of Glasgow. His academic journey began at Carluke High School, leading to a degree in Chemistry from the University of Glasgow and a PhD in Theoretical Chemistry and Inorganic Structural Chemistry at the University of Edinburgh. Following this, Blair worked as a postdoc at the University of Strathclyde, where he became a lecturer at just 27 years old. He has remained with the University of Strathclyde ever since, ultimately leading him to CMAC.

Often referred to as 'Digital Blair,' he is well known around CMAC for his relentless championing of the importance of data over the last decade, and his leadership has had a strong influence on CMAC’s transformation into a digital-centric organisation. His typical day involves a mix of administrative tasks, meetings, grant writing, and spending time with his research group, who have the opportunity to explore the exciting world of research projects.

Blair's favourite part of working at CMAC is the team, and his journey to achieving professorship remains a significant personal and professional highlight, a goal he has held dear since high school. He said:

“My grand vision is to contribute to the digital transformation of pharmaceutical R&D. I hope to witness widespread AI adoption in the sector before I retire, but there is still much work to be done”.

When he's not responding to emails or writing funding applications, you will find him listening to music. His passion for technology is evident as, in his spare time, he enjoys building and tweaking computers, and he has more keyboards and cables in the cupboard than most university IT departments. His ideal weekend involves quality time with family and friends, and at home, he's joined by his Maltipoo dogs, Holly and Finn.