Sir Philip John Randle. 16 July 1926—26 September 2006

Abstract

Sir Philip Randle, who died aged 80 on 26 September 2006 after a brief illness, was one of the world's foremost researchers into mammalian metabolism. In a career spanning some five decades, he provided a series of brilliant insights into the fundamental mechanisms that determine the selection of metabolic fuels by muscle and other tissues. Many of his findings were concerned with the role of insulin, including the control of its secretion from the β-cells in the pancreatic islets of Langerhans, and with the regulation of glucose oxidation through changes in the activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase. The ideas generated by his investigations laid the foundations for countless subsequent studies and have had a direct bearing on the understanding of diabetes. His lifelong enthusiasm for good research has had a great influence on all who worked with him.