25 October 2024
A Tribute to Professor Ivor Mason
It is with great sadness that we share the news that Professor Ivor Mason, a Professor of Developmental Biology, passed away earlier this week.
As well as developmental biology, Professor Mason taught neurobiology, cell and molecular biology, genetics and microanatomy/histology to students across the Faculty. He was a truly gifted communicator and in 2016 was awarded a British Science Association Media Fellowship to work part-time as a science journalist. Drawing on these skills he had recently developed innovative modules in science communications for second and third year undergraduate students which proved very popular. Even before the pandemic Professor Mason had pioneered the adoption of a virtual microscopy platform for online histology teaching in collaboration with the international BEST Network of Universities. His expertise was therefore extremely valuable in supporting the rapid shift to online teaching.
Professor Mason’s research interests lay in understanding how signalling events shape the developing vertebrate embryo. In particular, he analysed the role of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family of secreted signalling proteins in early nervous system development. His work probed various crucial aspects of brain development, including closure of the neural tube, emergence of regional identity to parts of the brain, control of the growth and differentiation of neurons, cell movements and axon pathfinding. He was invited to become a Fellow of the Institute of Biology in 2000 and was the Cornelius Wiersma Visiting Professor of Neurobiology at the California Institute of Technology (Pasadena USA) from 2003. In addition he was Deputy Director of the MRC Centre for Developmental Neurobiology at King’s between 2004 and 2010.
Professor Mason also contributed more widely to the developmental biology community through his activities in the British Society of Developmental Biology, including serving as Secretary for a number of years.
Professor Mason was a well-loved teacher, mentor and an outstanding personal tutor, offering patience, wisdom, encouragement, challenge and inspiration in equal measure, and profoundly influencing students’ professional and personal growth. Similarly, colleagues fondly remember his enthusiasm, creativity, humour and ability to build deep and lasting connections and collaborations with everyone he worked with.
His retirement ambition was to pursue a Masters in Creative Writing, and we can only imagine the wonderful stories and poetry he would have written had he had that opportunity. He will be very much missed.