Nicholas Franks

Nicholas Peter Franks FRS FRSB (born 14 October 1949) has been Professor of Biophysics and Anaesthetics at Imperial College London since 1993. His research focuses on how general anaesthetics act at the cell and molecular levels as well as with neuronal networks. Franks holds patents on use of xenon gas as a neuroprotectant and has published research on the use of the anesthetic properties of xenon.

He was educated at Mill Hill School and King's College London (BSc 1972; PhD 1975). He was a lecturer in biophysics at Imperial College London from 1977 to 1989 and a reader in biophysics from 1989 to 1993.

Awards and honours Along with being made a Fellow of the Royal Society in 2011, Franks was elected as a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2004, and a Fellow of the Royal College of Anaesthetists in 2008. He was awarded the Gold Medal, Royal College of Anaesthetists in 2003, the Excellence in Research Award, American Society of Anesthesiologists in 2006 and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Montreal in 2011.

Selected publications