Ralph Ross Russell (known as R3) was a neurologist who pioneered stroke medicine at a time when the field was not considered academically important.[1] He was one of the first to transform the study of stroke into a research and clinical specialty, contributing to a better understanding and treatment of the disease.[1] Early in his career he worked as a research fellow and lecturer in medicine at Oxford under George Pickering, Regius Professor of Medicine.[1] His research focused on the mechanism of hypertension and its role in cerebrovascular disease, at a time when vasospasm was being questioned as a cause of transient ischemic attacks (TIAs).[1] Ross Russell played a key role in transforming stroke treatment into the successful medical specialty it is today.[1]