Annette Dolphin (1951–2026): Former BNA President and Champion of the Neuroscience Community
We are honoured to share the following obituary, written by BNA colleagues and friends Professor Richard Henson (BNA President 2021 – 2023) and Dr Anne Cooke (BNA Chief Executive 2015 – 2023):
Members of the British Neuroscience Association (BNA) were deeply sorry to hear of the passing of Professor Annette Dolphin on 26th January 2026. Annette was our President from 2019-2021, during which time she helped continue to grow the Association in size, reach and impact.
Throughout her tenure she had a fierce loyalty for the BNA. Not infrequently, you would discover she had been championing the BNA at unrelated talks and conferences, only finding out when opportunities and conversations opened as a result. She had an astuteness, integrity and overriding desire to ‘get it right’ that could earn nothing but admiration and respect.
Professor Annette Dolphin awarding founding BNA member Professor Steven Rose with Honorary Membership at the BNA Festive Symposium in 2017. Image by Duncan Banks.
Alongside her service to the BNA, Annette was a highly respected neuroscientist and an internationally recognised expert in neuropharmacology. Her research focused particularly on the function of voltage-gated calcium channels, a field to which she made major contributions during her many years at University College London. Outside of academia, she was a keen theatre-goer and a devoted cricket fan, interests that reflected her wide-ranging curiosity and enthusiasm for life.
In particular, she helped maintain this momentum during the difficult years of the Covid pandemic, and is remembered for buoying people's spirits during the many, long video conferences.
Professor Annette Dolphin (left, middle row) bringing a touch of fun to the many Zoom calls during the Covid pandemic, complete with festive costumes and playful antics.
Reflecting on her impact, BNA President Professor Narender Ramnani said:
Annette combined intellectual rigour with deep integrity and an unwavering commitment to the neuroscience community. She cared profoundly about doing things properly, about supporting colleagues, and about the role the BNA could play in strengthening our field. Her leadership and example will continue to shape the Association for years to come.
The BNA also wishes to share that Annette expressed a strong desire for greater public awareness of Lynch Syndrome. In her memory, we echo her wish to encourage informed conversations around this condition. Individuals with a family history of gastrointestinal and/or gynaecological cancers, particularly those occurring at a young age, may wish to seek further advice or information about Lynch syndrome and available testing.
Annette will be greatly missed by the BNA community and by the many colleagues and friends whose lives she enriched through her science, leadership and generosity of spirit.
Read more about the history of the British Neuroscience Association, including past Presidents - Our History.
