Raymond Michael ‘Mike’ Gaze FRS (22 June 1927—11 September 2012) was a British neuroscientist.

He was the first person to use electrophysiological recording techniques to examine the formation, development and regeneration of the nervous system. He worked mainly on the visual system of frogs and fish. He established that nerve connexions are plastic, that is that during normal development retinal fibres continually change the connexions they make with the brain.

Gaze was Deputy Director of The National Institute for Medical Research (the forerunner to the Francis Crick Institute) from 1977 to 1983. In 1986 he was made an Honorary Professor at the University of Edinburgh, where he had served within the physiology department at different stages of his career. He was elected Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1964, of the Royal Society (London) in 1972.

He served as Editor for the journal Development from 1976 to 1988.

Early life and education

Mike Gaze was born in England but moved with his family to Scotland when he was twelve years old. He had very little schooling and was educated mainly by private tutors at home. When sixteen years old he was admitted to study medicine at the Edinburgh College of Surgeons. After qualifying in medicine he was admitted in 1949 to Balliol College, Oxford, to study physiology. He started research for his doctorate in 1950 under the supervision of George Gordon. After gaining his doctorate in 1953 he spent two years compulsory military service as a physician.

Scientific career

On finishing military service in 1955, Gaze was appointed to a lectureship in physiology at the University of Edinburgh. He became Reader in Physiology in 1966. In 1970 Sir Peter Medawar invited Gaze to become director of a new division in developmental biology at The National Institute for Medical Research in London. Gaze accepted the invitation. He returned to Edinburgh in 1984 and led a Medical Research Council unit on neural development and regeneration. In 1992 he retired, continuing to live in Edinburgh.

Personal life

In 1957 Gaze married Robinetta (Robin) Mary Armfelt. Harriet was born in 1958 and Hannah and Julian were born in 1959. Gaze enjoyed family life, hill walking and playing the flute. He started to write a book on the ownership of land in Scotland after he retired but developed dementia and was not able to finish it. He was looked after at home by Robin until this was no longer possible. He died aged 85 years.

References

1927 births
2012 deaths