hiː wʌz ˈɛdʒuːkˌeɪɾᵻd æt wˈɛstmɪnstɚ skˈuːl ænd tɹˈɪnᵻɾi kˈɑːlɪdʒ, kˈeɪmbɹɪdʒ, fɹʌm wˈɛɹ hiː ɡɹˈædjuːˌeɪɾᵻd wɪð ɐ fˈɜːst klˈæs ˈɑːnɚz dᵻɡɹˈiː ɪn nˈætʃɚɹəl sˈaɪənsᵻz ɪn nˈaɪntiːnhˈʌndɹɪd sˈɛvənti fˈoːɹ.
He was educated at Westminster School and Trinity College, Cambridge, from where he graduated with a first class honours degree in Natural Sciences in 1974.