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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". 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, 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 research
1977 - knighted for his ground-breaking work in immunology
1982 - awarded the ANZAAS Medal
1989 - made a Companion of the Order of Australia
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, 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 Medal
2002 - Nossal was featured on an Australian postage stamp
2006 - Inducted as an honourary member of the Monash University Golden Key Society