David Frederick Cottrell (1947-2009) was a British academic who became a Senior Lecturer, Physiology Department then Preclinical Vet Sciences at The Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies, in Edinburgh, Scotland. Cottrell specialised in sensory neurophysiology, ruminant and equine alimentary physiology, and equine gastroenterology. He contributed to the Journal of Physiology, Neuron and Nature.