' ▁parents ▁escaped ▁to ▁India , ▁where ▁the ▁younger ▁brother , ▁but ▁not ▁Robert , ▁joined ▁them . ▁His ▁parents ▁spent ▁the ▁duration ▁of ▁W W II ▁in ▁India . ▁ ▁Robert ▁Mah ler ▁attended ▁the ▁Edinburgh ▁Academy ▁for ▁two ▁years ▁and ▁then ▁mat ric ulated ▁at ▁age ▁ 1 6 ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Edinburgh , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁bio chem istry ▁and ▁medicine . ▁He ▁graduated ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 6 ▁B Sc ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Edinburgh ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 7 ▁MB ▁Ch B ▁( Ed in .) ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Edinburgh ▁Medical ▁School . ▁He ▁was ▁then ▁appointed ▁house ▁phys ician ▁to ▁Hamm ers m ith ▁Hospital , ▁where ▁he ▁worked ▁under ▁Graham ▁Bull ▁on ▁electro ly te ▁met abol ism ▁and ▁prototype ▁d ial ysis ▁machines . ▁In ▁ 1 9 4 9 ▁Mah ler ▁qualified ▁MR CP . ▁He ▁then ▁did ▁two ▁years ▁of ▁National ▁Service ▁in ▁the ▁R AF , ▁where ▁he ▁became ▁a ▁medical ▁special ist ▁with ▁the ▁rank ▁of ▁squad ron ▁leader . ▁ ▁From ▁ 1 9 5 1 ▁to ▁ 1 9 5 6 ▁he ▁was ▁supported ▁by ▁a ▁fellow ship ; ▁he ▁worked ▁first ▁at ▁the ▁M RC ' s ▁P neum o con ios is ▁Research ▁Unit ▁in ▁Wales , ▁then ▁at ▁the ▁Rad iation ▁S ick ness ▁Research ▁Unit ▁in ▁London , ▁and ▁finally ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Manchester ' s ▁Department ▁of ▁Medicine ▁under ▁the ▁ne ph ro log ists ▁Sydney ▁William ▁"