Adam Sillito obituary | Medical research

Adam Sillito, emeritus professor of visual science at the Institute of Ophthalmology in London, who has died aged 79, described one of his recreations in Who’s Who as “dreaming of better things”. A lateral thinker who grasped the bigger picture, he carried out research into the mechanics of visual perception that yielded vital knowledge for future treatments. As director of the institute from 1991 until 2006, he transformed it from a backwater on the verge of closure to a world-class centre of excellence, partnering with Moorfields eye hospital and attracting top scientists from all…