Alison Brading was born in Bexhill-on-Sea and educated at The Maynard School, Exeter, where she excelled academically and in sport, winning the Victor ludorum.
She continued in Bristol, gaining a PhD exploring the function of muscle in the tapeworm (Ascaris lumbricoides), under the supervision of Peter Caldwell.
She was particularly proud of her contributions to the study of smooth muscle in Japan, where three of her former DPhil students, postdoctoral researchers or fellows subsequently became professorial heads of department (including Hikaru Hashitani (Nagoya) and Noriyoshi Teramoto (Saga)).
While still active in scientific research, she acquired pneumonia in September 2010, which, through many months in hospital, she unable to conquer, arguable due to her ongoing post-polio syndrome weakness.
As a biographer wrote,[3] the role of warrior queen was indeed hers: a leader of men and women, a fierce defender and supporter of those in her care, a discerning and critical judge.