Professor Bob Williamson became Professor of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry and Pre-Clinical Dean at St Mary’s Hospital Medical School, University of London, in 1976.
In 1995, when he moved to Melbourne as Director of the Murdoch Institute and Professor of Medical Genetics. He retired in October 2004 and is now an Honorary Senior Principal Fellow of the Murdoch Institute, the University of Melbourne and Monash University.
Professor Williamson has more than 400 refereed career publications, including about 40 in Nature, Nature Genetics, Cell and The Lancet.
He was involved in the first cloning of the human globin genes, their mutations causing thalassaemia and the identification of genes for cystic fibrosis, Friedreich’s ataxia, craniofacial abnormalities, heart disease and Alzheimer’s disease.
More recently, he has taken a major interest in national science policy and medical and scientific ethics, has advised several state premiers, health ministers and ministers for innovation, and is still advising research groups wishing to use stem cells to treat genetic disorders.
Professor Bob Williamson is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (where he was Secretary for Science Policy from 2009 to 2013), a Fellow of the Royal Society and an Officer of the Order of Australia.
[January 2018]