Hugh Davson: the scientist and his science

Abstract

Each year, the American Physiological Society and its various sections award named lectureships which honor the legacy of physiologists who have been instrumental in establishing important and enduring scientific principles. However, as the decades pass and many layers are added to the founding principles, the original science of these important luminaries begins to dim as we forget how important the original discoveries were to our current endeavors. In that context, we would like to highlight some of the important contributions of Hugh Davson (1909-1996). One of us (J.G.M.) considers Dr. Davson a significant mentor; the other of us (B.L.B-Y.) is honored to be awarded the 2025 Davson lectureship of the Cell and Molecular Physiology Section. In this historical perspective, the authors wish to review the legacy of Hugh Davson from the perspective of both the scientist and his science. When pressed to acknowledge the scientific contributions of Hugh Davson, most physiologists, particularly those of a certain age, will cite the Davson-Danielli model of the plasma membrane. However, the current authors would like to acknowledge Dr. Davson's enduring contributions in another area, that of his fundamental studies of the ocular and cerebrospinal fluids that form the basis of our current research in this important aspect of fluid electrolyte homeostasis in the brain.

Keywords: blood CSF barrier; blood-brain barrier; cerebrospinal fluid; historical perspective; ocular fluid.