Lorin J. Mullins

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Lorin John Mullins (September 23, 1917 – April 14, 1993) was an American biophysicist who studied how ions move across cell membranes. He also served as editor of the Annual Review of Biophysics and Bioengineering for ten years.

Early life and education
- Mullins was born in San Francisco, California.
- He attended the University of California, Berkeley, earning a bachelor’s degree in 1937 and a PhD in physical chemistry.
- His PhD advisor was Sumner Cushing Brooks, and he researched how the algae Nitella transported ions.

Career highlights
- 1940–1943: Worked at the University of Rochester with Wallace O. Fenn, researching the permeability of red blood cells to potassium and sodium ions.
- World War II: Served in the United States Army, training pilots on Boeing B-17s and flying some combat missions in Europe. He also studied the effects of high altitude on pilots.
- Postwar: Held research positions in Europe and at Johns Hopkins University, the Niels Bohr Institute in Copenhagen, and the Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn in Naples.
- 1950: Joined Purdue University faculty.
- 1959: Became chair of the biophysics department at the University of Maryland.
- 1951 and 1956–1977: Affiliated with the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences and the Marine Biological Laboratory.
- 1969–1973: Served on the board of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NIH).
- 1973–1983: Editor of the Annual Review of Biophysics and Bioengineering.
- 1988: Retired as a professor emeritus from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.

Personal life and death
- Mullins was married to Rowena Stetson and they had two children.
- He died of cancer on April 14, 1993, in Chestertown, Maryland, at the age of 75.

Legacy
- Mullins was known for his work on how ions interact with excitable membranes and for his long-running role as an editor shaping the field of biophysics.