Richard Joel Miller was born in Portman Square in London, England. He developed an interest in chemistry when his father gave him a chemistry set for his fifth birthday. Following an unfortunate series of events involving explosions in the family garage, his interests (much to his parents’ relief) shifted to the finer points of biochemistry, and a desire to use science to understand the workings of the brain. Richard obtained his PhD from Cambridge University and then joined the faculty of the University of Chicago in 1975. After 25 years he transferred to the Department of Pharmacology at Northwestern University, where he is now Professor Emeritus.
Richard has published over five hundred scientific papers and four books in the areas of biochemistry, physiology, pharmacology, and neuroscience (see Google Scholars). Richard’s research has concentrated on trying to understand how drugs interact with the nervous system, as discussed in his first book “Drugged” (Oxford University Press, OUP).
In his latest book, “The Rise and Fall of Animal Experimentation” (OUP), Richard looks back over decades of research, examining the use of animals in science and exploring: Why do we do it? Is it successful, i.e. does it further translational medicine? Is it ethical? He also discusses the ever-increasing use and potential of human stem cells and related technologies in creating experimental models, making animal-based research ultimately obsolete.
Richard lives in Chicago with his wife and two cats, Marvel and Oba. He loves animals, all the arts and sports (go Arsenal!)
Richard’s aim is to help make a kinder, less violent world.
