The College's alumni includes groundbreaking, brilliant and sometimes eccentric individuals - from Charles Darwin to Sophia Jex-Blake. James Barry The story of James Barry is one of the most remarkable in the University of Edinburgh's history. Born Margaret Ann Bulkley, Barry's identity as a woman was a secret until after death. Sophia Jex-Blake (1840 – 1912) British physician and pioneer for medical education for women, Sophia Jex-Blake studied medicine at Edinburgh but was forced to take her degree in Switzerland. Charles Darwin (1809 – 1882) Naturalist and geologist Charles Darwin’s radical ideas shaped modern thinking about where we come from. Lord Joseph Lister (1827-1912) Lord Joseph Lister was the founder of antiseptic medicine and aseptic surgery, and Regius Professor of Clinical Surgery. James Young Simpson (1811-1870) James Young Simpson was a pioneer of anaesthetics, Professor of Midwifery, and an alumnus of the University of Edinburgh. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was the author of the Sherlock Holmes series of novels and stories, a physician, and an alumnus of the University of Edinburgh. William Dick (1793-1866) William Dick was a pioneer of veterinary science and education, and the founder of the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies. Elsie Maud Inglis (1864-1917) Elsie Inglis was the founder of the Scottish Women's Suffrage Federation and Scottish Women's Hospitals, and an alumna of the University of Edinburgh. Benjamin Rush (1746-1813) Benjamin Rush was a signatory of the American Declaration of Independence, a physician, and an alumnus of the University of Edinburgh. Sir Robert Sibbald (1641-1722) Sir Robert Sibbald was a Professor of Medicine, the founder of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, and an alumnus of the University of Edinburgh. This article was published on 2024-09-09