Gustav Nossal

Sir Gustav Joseph Victor Nossal, AC, CBE, FRS, FAA (born June 4 1931) is a distinguished Australian research biologist and brilliant communicator. He was Australian of the Year in 2000. 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, he 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 with first class honours. At the age of 26, he left his job in Sydney and came to Melbourne to work with Macfarlane Burnet in Medical Science. Nossal gained his doctorate of Philosophy in 1960.

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, and 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 (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 and Melinda Gates Children's Vaccine Program (1998-2003).

In 1977 he was knighted for his ground-breaking work in immunology and in 1989 was made a Companion of the Order of Australia.

He was named Australian of the Year in 2000, and holds numerous international scientific awards and doctorates.

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.

The Nossal Institute for Global Health at the University of Melbourne was named in honour of Sir Gustav.