The Society is sad to hear of the death of Professor Robert Martin. He was one of the early adventurers in biophysics, a field that developed from the late 50s. Professor Martin’s education involved notable figures in physiology. He carried out his graduate work with Bernhard Katz and presented his thesis defence to Andrew Huxley, who had to replace Alan Hodgkin on the board of examiners that day. His work on cellular neuronal function from 1954 to 1994 formed a foundational part of the field of Neuroscience

Professor Martin frequently published in The Journal of Physiology, discussing his work and findings on transmembrane potentials, ion channels and neuromuscular junctions. These articles are among the most cited in neuroscience history. He was also an editor for The Journal of Physiology from 1973 to 1978.

In 1970, Professor Martin was appointed Chair of Physiology at University of Colorado, US. He served in the position for 23 years before retiring in 1993. When he retired, the Department and Medical School sponsored a one-day Symposium in his honour and created the A. R. Martin Lectureship in Physiology. An annual event, where the A.R. Martin lecturers presents two talks, one tailored for a specialist audience and one adapted for a broader scientific audience. Professor Martin was most well-known for his work on synaptic function, both chemical and electrical, although he made important contributions to other fields as well.