After completing his Ph.D, Hille did postdoc research with Sir Alan L. Hodgkin (1963 Nobel laureate for the basis of nerve action potentials) and Richard Keynes at the University of Cambridge, England.
[3] Bertil Hille pioneered the concept of ion channels as membrane proteins forming gated aqueous pores (with Clay Armstrong).
[5] He is the author of multiple editions of Ion Channels of Excitable Membranes, described as an essential introduction not just for beginners but for readers throughout the areas of biochemistry and biophysics.
Hille's book is considered to mark a turning point in the field,[2][11] defining the modern era of ion channel studies.
[12] The book is known for its clarity of language,[13] its ability to communicate to both the beginner and the specialist,[14] its attention to research history, and the breadth and depth of its scientific coverage.