Obituary: Professor Sir Colin Blakemore

The death has been announced of Professor Sir Colin Blakemore, pioneering neurobiologist, advocate for science communication and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine.

Sir Colin was one of Britain’s most influential scientists and was widely known and respected in his own field of research, which contributed significantly to establishing the concept of neuronal plasticity, and more widely through his engagement with the public .

In 1993 he was invited to present the Ellison-Cliffe lecture at the Royal Society of Medicine which he titled ‘Vulnerable periods in the development of the brain.’ He became an RSM Honorary Fellow in 2012.

Sir Colin was chief executive of the Medical Research Council from 2003 to 2007. An enthusiastic communicator about science in print and broadcast media, he was knighted in 2014 for services to scientific research, policy and outreach.

Professor Roger Kirby, President of the Royal Society of Medicine, said: “Colin Blakemore was a visionary scientist who leaves an extraordinary legacy to biomedical research. We offer our deep condolences to Sir Colin’s family.”