Ainsley Iggo FRS (2 August 1924 – 25 March 2012) was a New Zealand born neurophysiologist.

Life

He was born in

Napier, New Zealand Napier ( ; mi, Ahuriri) is a city on the eastern coast of the North Island of New Zealand and the seat of the Hawke's Bay Region, Hawke's Bay region. It is a beachside city with a Napier Port, seaport, known for its sunny climate, esplanade lin ...

and studied at a farming college in

Invercargill Invercargill ( , mi, Waihōpai is the southernmost and westernmost city in New Zealand, and one of the southernmost cities in the world. It is the commercial centre of the Southland region. The city lies in the heart of the wide expanse of t ...

, where he won a bursary to study Agricultural Sciences at the

University of New Zealand The University of New Zealand was New Zealand's sole degree-granting university from 1874 to 1961. It was a collegiate university embracing several constituent institutions at various locations around New Zealand. After it was dissolved in 196 ...

. There he was awarded a research scholarship to continue his studies in Britain. After gaining a BSc in electrophysiology and neuroscience at the

University of Otago , image_name = University of Otago Registry Building2.jpg , image_size = , caption = University clock tower , motto = la, Sapere aude , mottoeng = Dare to be wise , established = 1869; 152 years ago , type = Public research collegiate u ...

in Dunedin, he moved to Aberdeen to join the

Rowett Research Institute The Rowett Institute is a research centre for studies into Food science, food and nutrition, located in Aberdeen, Scotland. History The institute was founded in 1913 when the University of Aberdeen and the Scottish Agricultural College, Nort ...

, an agricultural research facility of the

University of Aberdeen The University of Aberdeen ( sco, University o' 'Aiberdeen; abbreviated as ''Aberd.'' in List of post-nominal letters (United Kingdom), post-nominals; gd, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain) is a public university, public research university in Aberdeen, Sc ...

. There he was awarded a PhD for his studies on the vagus nerve of sheep. The grave of Prof Ainsley Iggo, Grange Cemetery

He moved to

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

in 1954, where he began as a lecturer in physiology at the Medical School of the

University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 15 ...

before accepting the Chair of Veterinary Physiology at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies of the

in 1962. He played the major role in establishing the school, commonly known as the Dick Vet, into an internationally recognised centre of excellence, before becoming dean of the School. He remained as professor emeritus of veterinary physiology until his death. In 1958 he became the first scientist to demonstrate electrical recordings from individual C fibres, the thinnest of the body's nerves and also defined the function of the various sensory receptors in the skin which detect touch, tickle, heat and pain. One of the receptors is now named after him. Iggo received a DSc from the University of Edinburgh in 1963 for his thesis, “Mammalian afferent nerve fibres". In 1973 he was a founder member and later president (1981–84) of the

International Association for the Study of Pain The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) is an international learned society promoting research, education, and policies for the understanding, prevention, and treatment of pain. IASP was founded in 1973 under the leadership of ...

(IASP). He was elected a

Fellow of the Royal Society Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural science, natural knowledge, incl ...

in 1978 and a

Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) is an award granted to individuals that the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Scotland's national academy of science and letters, judged to be "eminently distinguished in their subject". This soci ...

. In 1974 he succeeded Prof Frank Alexander as Dean of the

Dick Vet The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, commonly referred to as the Dick Vet, is the veterinary school of the University of Edinburgh in Scotland and part of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine the head of which is Moira Whyt ...

. He was succeeded in turn in 1977 by Prof Ian Beattie. He was brought back for a second term as Dean from 1985 to 1990. He died in Edinburgh on 25 March 2012. He is buried in

Grange Cemetery The Grange (originally St Giles' Grange) is an affluent suburb of Edinburgh, just south of the city centre, with Morningside and Greenhill to the west, Newington to the east, The Meadows park and Marchmont to the north, and Blackford Hil ...

in south Edinburgh. The grave lies midway along the north path on its north side.

Family

In 1952 he married New Zealand biochemist Betty Joan McCurdy (1926–2015), and together they had 3 sons.

References

External links

Obituary in Scotsman

Obituary in Edinburgh Evening News
{{DEFAULTSORT:Iggo, Ainsley 1924 births 2012 deaths People from Napier, New Zealand New Zealand physiologists New Zealand Fellows of the Royal Society Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh University of New Zealand alumni University of Otago alumni Neurophysiologists Academics of the University of Edinburgh