The Society is saddened to hear of the death of Professor Sheila Gardiner, who passed away on 16 March 2022. Gardiner was an outstanding scientist and teacher who gained global acclaim for her success in establishing mechanistic and in vivo physiological models. These informed and shaped in vitro approaches and drove innovation in drug discovery.

Gardiner began her career studying at the School of Agriculture at the University of Nottingham, UK. After graduating with Honours, she went into Medicine completing her PhD at the new Medical School at the university in 1978.

Following a fellowship with the British Heart Foundation, she went onto to be a Lecturer, Reader and then Professor at the University of Nottingham, UK. At the time, Gardiner was the youngest female Professor of Cardiovascular Physiology in the UK.

Alongside her academic pursuits, she taught several programmes at the university, including Medicine, Pharmacy, Nursing, and Life Sciences. As a member of the Research Committee of the British Heart Foundation she also made important contributions to the development of cardiovascular research in the UK.