Julian is a bioscientist and politician, with many years’ experience as an NHS non-executive. He is currently Director of the Intellectual Forum at Jesus College, Cambridge. His academic work used genomics and biophysics to study unusual structures of DNA. In particular, DNA of particular sequences can form four-stranded knot-like structures called G-quadruplexes, which can function as genomic switches, turning genes on and off. These are important as potential anti-cancer drug targets.  His involvement in politics has included serving as a County Councillor in Cambridgeshire, a member of the executive of the East of England Regional Assembly, and then as Member of Parliament for Cambridge. As an MP, he was particularly noted for his work on civil liberties, science, cycling, and technology policy. Julian joined the Board of the NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Clinical Commissioning Group from 2015-2022, serving variously as Audit Chair and Deputy Chair, overseeing £1.8 billion of annual expenditure. He continues as Chair of the Ethics Committee for NHS Cambridgeshire and Peterborough. He is also a Director of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd, and held a Ministerial appointment to the Home Office Biometrics and Forensics Ethics Group, where he chaired the pioneering AI Ethics Working Group. He has also advised a range of technology companies about ethics and governance, including being Founding Chair of the Independent Panel of Reviewers of DeepMind Health. In 2013 he was voted ‘Parliamentary Beard of the Year’.

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