05/06/2026
Robert J. Naylor — my husband, my work partner, my best friend, the father of our twins, and the finest human being I have ever known.
Three years ago today, on 7 May 2023 at about 19:15 I lost him.
Robert's scientific legacy is profound. His work at the University of Bradford mapped the dopamine pathways in the brain that govern movement and behaviour — a foundation that still underpins how we understand and treat Parkinson's disease today. His research on 5-HT3 receptor antagonists contributed to the discovery of ondansetron, the antiemetic that has spared countless cancer patients the worst of chemotherapy. With AVIPERO, he turned decades of neuropharmacology into a mission: to bring genuinely new therapeutics to the patients who need them most.
Beyond his science, Robert was an all-rounder in the truest sense. A devoted father. A steady, loving husband. A mentor and friend to so many. His Yorkshire sense of humour was iconic!
The blessing of having him in our lives is long lasting. It lives in our daughters, in the science he leaves behind, in the people he shaped, and in the work we continue in his name.
I am still grieving for him, and I will be — until I meet him again.
To everyone who has held us, remembered him, and carried his memory forward these past three years: thank you. He is missed beyond words, and loved beyond measure.
