“Outstanding” work by 19-year-old Dundee medical student published as an academic book chapter

When most first-year medical students are still finding their feet, Jack Molyneux was already making his mark in academic research.

Just months into his medical degree in 2023 at the University of Dundee, Jack, aged 19 at the time, wrote an essay so impressive it would go on to form the basis of a book chapter on cancer research. Now, two years later, that chapter has just been published - with Jack listed as a co-author.

The essay, written for a first-year Student Selected Component (SSC), focused on proteasome - known as the “recycling bin of the cell” - and their use in cancer therapies.

Dr Sourav Banerjee, Senior Lecturer in the School of Medicine, supervised Jack’s SSC and immediately recognised the quality of his work.

So accomplished was the piece that when Dr Banerjee was commissioned to contribute six chapters to a book on targeted therapeutics, he turned to Jack’s essay as a template.

Dr Banerjee explained, “We used Jack’s essay as a structure because it was already in such a good format. I thought it was only right to involve him in the chapter. Jack agreed, and we worked together with my PhD students to refine the work. The chapter was actually the first one we finished, which is rare in such a large international project.”

The chapter was published by Taylor & Francis earlier this year as part of a two-volume book featuring contributions from researchers across more than 16 countries.

Jack recalled his surprise when first learning his essay could lead to publication. He said, “I was on holiday at the time, and I remember being really excited telling my parents. I straight away got my laptop out because I wanted to do as much as I could to help. I didn’t expect anything like that to happen so early in my studies.”

The topic itself played to Jack’s growing interest in oncology. Jack said,  “It solidified my love of oncology. I didn’t think something like this would ever have happened, especially so early on. It has opened my eyes to what’s possible and made me more excited about pursuing oncology further.”

Dr Banerjee insists Jack’s achievement is highly unusual, Dr Banerjee said, “Out of 12 students who have attempted the same essay topic, Jack was the only one to score above 85. Normally, book chapter authorship comes much later, often after students have completed their medical training. For Jack to achieve this in his first year is remarkable.”

Jack is now entering his intercalated BMSc in Cancer and Genetics at Dundee, where he will continue to develop his skills and research experience. Looking ahead, he hopes to pursue oncology-focused rotations and electives during his later years of study.