Combining classroom Chemistry with the pursuit of a PhD qualification, Dr Jamie Webb joined Loughborough Grammar School in September 2024. Since then, he has been involved in all areas of the school community, using his own life experience to support pupils not just academically but also to develop their sense of character and resilience beyond the classroom.
Prior to beginning his teaching career, Dr Webb spent more than four years as a PhD Researcher in the Chemistry Department at Loughborough University developing a thesis which investigated ways for detecting cell stress markers.
The study used a set of chemical tools called lanthanide-based probes for the selective detection of a biological marker called peroxynitrite. Peroxynitrite correlates with cell stress and can be used to measure the effectiveness of anti-cancer and Alzheimer’s drugs. The probes that Dr Webb designed fluoresce red and, by measuring the ‘switching off’ of this red light, the quantity of peroxynitrite present can be measured, ultimately leading to a cheap preclinical trials screening of candidate drugs.
Alongside his studies, Dr Webb also trained as an elite 800m runner for adidas where he had the incredible opportunity to travel the world. He describes balancing sport and academia as one of the biggest challenges he’s faced throughout his education: “Part of what I enjoy so much about teaching is that so many students feel the same and have to do the same, whether that’s with music, whether that’s with sport. I think supporting that is very rewarding for me and it’s where I feel I can have a really big impact.”
Dr Webb did his teacher training through School’s Direct where he was also a Royal Society of Chemistry scholar. He credits the “hands-on” approach of the programme, which included university-based lectures once a week, as the main driver behind his goal to pursue teaching as a career.
“What drew me into teaching originally, and the reason I am passionate about the vocation now, is the hands-on impact you can have on students’ futures and their overall wellbeing. I look back and think of the difference certain teachers made in my school years and note now how much that influenced the decisions I made. I find it an incredibly rewarding role.”
Throughout his first year at Loughborough Grammar School, Dr Webb has been involved in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and the Schools’ football programme, noting that “there is just so much here that really helps to develop pupils as people outside of the classroom.”
“I’ve really enjoyed this year and not just being in the classroom and putting across my enthusiasm for the subject, but the real vast amount of co-curricular activities that there are to get involved with.”
Through both educating the next generation of chemists and helping to facilitate enriching co-curricular opportunities for pupils at LGS, Dr Webb continues to inspire pupils. Drawing on his experiences in both education and elite sport, Dr Webb said: “The the best piece of advice that I’d give to any student is that excellence in any subject or any area of life is learned.
“So, get used to and practise applying yourself to things to the best of your ability, even when you don’t really feel like it. Because it is when you repeat that on a daily basis, you really see yourself improve and that is what will make you stand out in the real world in the future.”
