author
Alex Hill
1856–1929
A doctor, brain researcher, and university leader, he wrote about physiology in a clear, practical way for general readers. His books bring scientific ideas down to earth without losing their sense of wonder.
1 Audiobook
About the author
Born in 1856, Alex Hill was a British medical doctor and academic who became known for work in physiology and neurology as well as for a long career in university leadership. He studied at Downing College, Cambridge, later served as Master of Downing College from 1888 to 1907, and was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cambridge from 1897 to 1899.
Hill also played an important part in the study and teaching of the nervous system. Sources describe him as a brain specialist, and he is noted for being the first person to use the term "neuron" in English for the nerve cell. Alongside his academic work, he wrote books including The Body at Work: A Treatise on the Principles of Physiology, aiming to explain how the body functions in a direct and approachable style.
Later in his career he served as Principal of Southampton University College from 1913 to 1920. He died in 1929, remembered as both a scientist and an educator who helped make physiology more accessible to students and general readers.