Doris Mackinnon

Doris Mackinnon (30 September 1883 – 10 September 1956) was a Scottish zoologist and academic. Her area of research was parasitic protozoa.

In 1927, she was appointed as Chair of Zoology at King's College London becoming the first woman at the College to hold the position of Chair.

Biography Doris Livingston Mackinnon was born on 30 September 1883 in Aberdeen, Scotland. Her father, Lachlan Mackinnon, was an advocate and Consular Agent for France and Belgium. In his spare time, her father was an amateur scientist, interested in botany, ornithology and astronomy. Mackinnon had three siblings. One sister was a silhouette artist while the other, Lilias Mackinnon, was a concert pianist. A brother was an author.

Encouraged by the geologist and paleontologist Maria Gordon, Mackinnon studied botany and geology at the University of Aberdeen. She was awarded the "Carnegie scholarship" which enabled her to study for a year under Richard Hertwig in Munich. Afterward, she joined Milano Vlès to research at Station biologique de Roscoff in France, and then relocated to the Quick Laboratory, at the University of Cambridge, under George Nuttall. While there, she worked on her thesis "Studies on protozoa", which she submitted to the University of Aberdeen in 1914, receiving her doctorate.

While at Dundee, Mackinnon was given a leave of absence to assist with the war effort during World War I. where she used her knowledge of protozoology to help diagnose amoebic dysentery and other infections for the War Office. In 1918, she was recalled to University College, Dundee, because D'Arcy Thompson had taken a new role at the University of St Andrews. Mackinnon became the acting head of the University's zoological department. She remained Chair until her retirement in 1949. Her department produced notable academics such as Francis Brambell.

After retiring, Mackinnon worked on an undergraduate textbook, "An introduction to the study of protozoa". She fell ill before it was published, and died from a stroke on 10 September 1956. The book was completed and edited by R. S. J. Hawes.

Mackinnon published over 40 academic papers, and how good hygiene and the prevention of flies breeding could stop typhoid. She also set up a research centre in protozoology, the only non-medical protozoological research centre in UK. In 1943, for the 50th anniversary of their first women's admissions, the University of Aberdeen awarded Mackinnon and two other women an honorary LLD. When Mackinnon retired in 1949, she was elected professor emeritus of King's College. She became a fellow of the Linnean Society of London and served on their council.

Selected bibliography Books

Journals articles