John Wilfred Jenkinson was a pioneer in the field of comparative developmental biology and one of the first to introduce experimental embryology to the UK at the start of the twentieth century. He was the first Lecturer in Embryology at the University of Oxford. After Jenkinson’s tragic death at Gallipoli in 1915, the University of Oxford established the ‘John Wilkinson Jenkinson Lectureship’ in his memory. The original statutes required the lecturer(s), appointed annually, to deliver “one or more lectures or lecture demonstrations on comparative or experimental embryology”.

Each year, a Board of Electors selects one or two Jenkinson Lecturers who are invited to Oxford to present a lecture in the broad area of developmental biology. The list of Jenkinson Lecturers includes many distinguished names, including Nobel Laureates.

Past holders of the JW Jenkinson Lectureship:

• 1994 Professor Peter Gruss
• 1995 Dr Brigid Hogan
• 1996 Professor Ray Guillery
• 1996 Dr Susan K McConnell
• 1997 Professor James C Smith
• 1997 Professor Cliff Tabin
• 1997 Dr R T Hunt
• 1998 Professor P J Bryant
• 1999 Dr Davor Solter
• 1999 Dr Françoise Dieterlan
• 2000 Professor Peter Holland
• 2000 Professor Max Bear
• 2000 Professor Eduardo Boncinelli
• 2001 Professor Tessier-Lavigne
• 2002 Professor Roger Tsien
• 2002 Professor Enrico Coen
• 2003 Professor Bate
• 2004 Professor Cheryll Tickle
• 2004 Professor Ralph Raff
• 2005 Professor Gerd Jurgens
• 2005 Professor David Weisblat
• 2006 Professor Stephen Cohen
• 2006 Professor Michael Akam
• 2007 Dr Shigeru Kuratani
• 2007 Professor Janet Rossant
• 2008 Sir Richard Gardner
• 2008 Professor Didier Stainer
• 2009 Professor Sean Carroll
• 2009 Professor Bickmore
• 2010 Professor Nick Hastie
• 2010 Professor Paul Sternberg
• 2010 Professor David Kingsley
• 2011 Professor Jurgen Knoblich
• 2012 Professor Caroline Dean
• 2012 Professor Hopi Hoekstra

Management of the JW Jenkinson Lectureship

The lecturers are elected by an electoral board consisting of: the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford; the Rector of Exeter College, Oxford; the Regius Professor of Medicine; the Linacre Professor of Zoology; the Waynflete Professor of Physiology; Dr. Lee's Professor of Anatomy; and a member of the Mathematical, Physical and Life Sciences Board elected by that board.