Colin Nichols

Nichol's research investigates the biology of ion channels, particularly potassium channels, and their role in diabetes mellitus, cardiac dysrhythmias and epilepsy.^{[11][12][13][14][15][16]} Nichols uses models to investigate the structure, function and regulation of ion channels, which control what cells do by controlling their electrical polarity.^[1]

Nichols was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 2014. His nomination reads:

Colin Nichols is distinguished for his contributions to our understanding of cellular excitability and its role in disease. He was instrumental in cloning the first inward rectifier channel and the regulatory subunit of the KATP channel. He elucidated the mechanism of inward rectification, generated new insights into lipid regulation of ion channel function, determined the physiological role of cardiac KATP channels and identified one type of congenital hyperinsulinism. Animal models that he generated predicted the mechanism of human neonatal diabetes, and ultimately helped enable patients to switch from insulin injections to oral drug therapy.^[4]