Alun Davies is Distinguished Research Professor at Cardiff University. He has made important contributions to our understanding of how neuronal survival and the growth of neural processes are regulated in the developing vertebrate nervous system. His work with Andrew Lumsden in the early 1980’s demonstrated chemotropic guidance of axons to their targets, and Chemotropism is now a widely recognised axon guidance mechanism. Subsequently he has made many key discoveries concerning neurotrophic factors. Alun has also played a key role in the development of novel antibody therapeutics through Rinat Neuroscience and New Therapeutics.