The Physiological Society was delighted to unveil a blue plaque at the University of Cambridge to celebrate Lord Edgar Adrian and his contributions to the discipline of physiology.
The plaque was unveiled on Thursday 9 December and is positioned on the Physiology Building.
Lord Edgar Adrian (30 November 1889 – 4 August 1977) was a physiologist and recipient of the 1932 Nobel Prize for Physiology, won jointly with Sir Charles Sherrington for work on the function of neurons. He also treated soldiers with nerve damage and nervous disorders such as shell shock during the First World War. In 1942 he was awarded membership to the Order of Merit and in 1955 was created Baron Adrian, of Cambridge in the County of Cambridge. He died in Cambridge and was given the honour of being buried in Trinity College, Cambridge.
The plaque was unveiled by Professor Roger Keynes, the grandson of Lord Adrian and a Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge.
The Physiological Society’s blue plaques honour outstanding physiologists who have contributed to the advancement of the discipline through their discoveries while leaving a legacy beyond their lifetime.
Speaking following the unveiling, Professor Roger Keynes said:
“We are very grateful to The Physiological Society for formally recognising my grandfather’s scientific achievements, and his long association with The Society, with a plaque on our Physiology building. Working here in the 1920s he applied new technology (valve amplification) to single nerve fibres, revealing fundamental properties and patterns of their electrical activity for the first time.”
Professor David Paterson, President of the Physiological Society, commented:
“This is the seventh unveiling in The Physiological Society’s Blue Plaque scheme which is intended to raise the visibility of physiology and give the wider public an insight into the positive role that ‘the science of life’ plays in their everyday lives. It is hoped that these plaques will spark curiosity and help inspire new generations to get involved in the physiological sciences.”
