Adrien Albert occupies the Chair of Medical Chemistry in the John Curtin School of Medical Research, the Australian National University, Canberra. He is distinguished for work in the organic chemistry, and physical organic chemistry, of substances of biological interest. He has advanced the understanding of nitrogenous heterocyclic chemistry, particularly in the field of correlating structure with physical and chemical properties and is at present writing a book on this subject, commissioned by the University of London. His monograph, "The Acridines" (1951), appeared at the end of seventeen years' work in that field, and he has since turned his attention to other nitrogenous heterocycles, notably the pteridines (on which he is a world-authority) and purines. He is also active in the study of the comparative avidities with which cell-constituents and drugs bind the heavy metals. His interest in the correlation of the physico-chemical properties of drugs with their biological action, resulted in the book, "Selective Toxicity" (1951), now in English, Russian and Japanese editions.