Gustav Nossal

Sir Gustav Joseph Victor Nossal, AC, CBE, FRS, FAA (born June 4 1931) is an Australian research biologist. Gustav Nossal was born four weeks prematurely in Bad Ischl, in Austria, while his mother was on holiday. Because his father was Jewish, the Nossal family left their home town of Vienna for Australia when he was eight years old.

When he attended his first Australian school, Nossal spoke no English but graduated from St Aloysius' College in 1947 as the dux of the College. In 1948, he entered Sydney University's Medical School, graduating later with first class honours. At the age of 26, he left his job in Sydney and moved to Melbourne to work with Macfarlane Burnet in Medical Science.

Nossal gained his doctorate of Philosophy in 1960.

Career achievements

In 1965, at the age of 35, Nossal became director of Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne, a position that he kept until 1996. In parallel, he was Professor of Medical Biology at Melbourne University.

Nossal's research is in fundamental immunology, in the field of "antibody formation and immunological tolerance".cite web |title= Biographical entry - Nossal, Gustav Joseph Victor (1931 - ) |publisher= Bright Sparcs |url= http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P000678b.htm |accessdate= 2008-03-08] He has written five books and 530 scientific articles in this and related fields.

Nossal has been President (1986-1989) of the 30,000-member world body of immunology, the International Union of Immunological Societies; President of the Australian Academy of Science (1994-1998); a member of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) (1989 to 1998); and Chairman of the Victorian Health Promotion Foundation (1987-1996).

He has been Chairman of the committee overseeing the World Health Organization's Vaccines and Biologicals Program (1993-2002) and Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Council of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Children's Vaccine Program (1998-2003).

He was Deputy Chairman of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation from 1998 to 2000.

He is Chairman of the Advisory Committee of the Global Foundation,cite web |title= Our Members: Office bearers |publisher= The Global Foundation |url= http://www.globalfoundation.org.au/about/members.html |accessdate= 2008-03-07] The purpose of the foundation is to "encourag [e] Australia’s sustainable national development in a global context."

Awards and recognition

* 1970 - The Order of the British Empire - Commander (Civil) for medical researchcite web |title= It's an Honour - 1 January 1970 |publisher= Australian Government |url= http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1065616&search_type=advanced&showInd=true |accessdate= 2008-03-07]
* 1977 - knighted for his ground-breaking work in immunologycite web |title= It's an Honour - 1 January 1977 |publisher= Australian Government |url= http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1083627&search_type=advanced&showInd=true |accessdate= 2008-03-07]
* 1982 - awarded the ANZAAS Medalcite web |title= The ANZAAS Medal |publisher= ANZAAS |url= http://www.anzaas.org.au/anzaasmedal.html |accessdate= 2008-03-07]
* 1989 - made a Companion of the Order of Australiacite web |title= It's an Honour - 12 June 1989 |publisher= Australian Government |url= http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=886105&search_type=advanced&showInd=true |accessdate= 2008-03-07]
* 1990 - awarded the Albert Einstein World Award of Science, the award given to researchers working in areas that "have brought true benefit and well being to mankind"
* 1996 - won the Koch Gold Medal,cite web |title= Gustav Nossal - Virology Down Under |publisher= University of Queensland| url= http://www.uq.edu.au/vdu/BasicsGustavNossal.htm |accessdate= 2008-03-07] the prize being awarded for prizes for major advances in biomedical sciences, particularly in the fields of microbiology and immunology.
* 1997 - listed the 100 Australians identified as Australia's Living National Treasures
* 2000 named as Australian of the Year
* 2001 - recipient of the Centenary Medalcite web |title= It's an Honour - 1 January 2001 |publisher= Australian Government |url= http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=1115621&search_type=advanced&showInd=true |accessdate= 2008-03-07]
* 2002 - Nossal was featured on an Australian postage stamp
* 2006 - Inducted as an honourary member of the Monash University Golden Key Society

The Nossal Institute for Global Healthcite web|title= The Nossal Institute for Global Health |publisher= The University of Melbourne |url= http://www.ni.unimelb.edu.au/about/ |accessdate= 2008-03-07] at the University of Melbourne was named in honour of Sir Gustav.

Notes

He is a scientist from Austria

External links

* [http://www.asap.unimelb.edu.au/bsparcs/biogs/P000678b.htm Short biography]
* [http://www.uq.edu.au/vdu/BasicsGustavNossal.htm Gustav Nossal - Virology Down Under]
* [http://www.science.org.au/scientists/gn.htm Interview] on the Australian Academy of Science website.
* [http://www.nature.com/ni/journal/v1/n1/full/ni0700_5.html;jsessionid=48A805390DA104D42833E97C5D0CAD8D The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization—a millennial challenge]
* Liz Cincotta. " [http://www.theage.com.au/national/passage-to-australia-20080618-2stt.html?page=-1 Passage to Australia] ". The Age, 19 June 2008.
* [http://www.themonthly.com.au/tm/node/1174 Video of Gustav Nossal lecture on the 50-Year Revolution in Global Public Health] on [http://www.slowtv.com.au SlowTV]

ee also

* List of Australian of the Year Award recipients