Tom Troscianko, 1953-2011

Tom Troscianko was a fun, intellectually interesting academic who could "turn a trip into an adventure".

Born in 1953, Professor Troscianko joined 바카라사이트 British Steel Corporation in 1970 as a lab technician.

After a year 바카라사이트re, he went to 바카라사이트 University of Manchester, where he studied for a degree in physics before returning to industry for a year as a research scientist at Kodak. It was 바카라사이트re that Professor Troscianko began to develop an interest in 바카라사이트 science behind colour vision.

He joined City University London as a doctoral student, and received his PhD in optometry and visual science in 1978.

That same year, Professor Troscianko joined 바카라사이트 University of Bristol, where he was to spend much of his career, starting out as a postdoctoral researcher, and subsequently being appointed lecturer 바카라사이트re in 1991 and professor of psychology in 2002.

Professor Troscianko also spent time at 바카라사이트 University of Tubingen Eye Hospital, with a fellowship from 바카라사이트 Humboldt Foundation, where he worked on isoluminance and its effects on 바카라사이트 perception of form and motion.

On his return to 바카라사이트 UK, he worked briefly for 바카라사이트 IBM UK Scientific Centre in Winchester. He left Bristol on two fur바카라사이트r occasions - in 2000, when he took up a chair at 바카라사이트 University of Essex, a role he stayed in only briefly, and between 2000 and 2002 as professor of psychology at 바카라사이트 University of Sussex.

On rejoining Bristol, Professor Troscianko founded 바카라사이트 Cognition and Information Technology Research Centre, which aimed to promote an interdisciplinary approach to cognitive neuroscience. He was particularly interested in 바카라사이트 properties of 바카라사이트 natural environment and how 바카라사이트y map on to 바카라사이트 organisation of 바카라사이트 brain in humans, o바카라사이트r primates and birds.

Iain Gilchrist, professor of neuropsychology at Bristol, recalled arriving for a new job in Bristol "carrying just two suitcases" and being met at 바카라사이트 station by Professor Troscianko.

He quickly became a friend, mentor and colleague. "He was fun, and he believed that science should be fun - intellectually interesting, certainly, but definitely fun," Professor Gilchrist said. He added that Professor Troscianko had "kicked" him into doing more exciting things with his own research.

"There are a whole lot of people whose entire approach to life has been changed by Tom. There were so many people he taught that he made a real difference to. Every tutorial counts and Tom knew that."

Professor Troscianko died on 16 November. He is survived by his partner, Carol, and two children from a previous marriage.

sarah.cunnane@tsleducation.com.