Sir Gustav Victor Joseph Nossal (born 4 June 1931) is an Austrian-born Australian research biologist. He is famous for his contributions to the fields of antibody formation and immunological tolerance.
Early life and education
Nossal's family was from
Vienna
en, Viennese
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, Austria. He was born four weeks prematurely in
Bad Ischl
Bad Ischl (Austrian German ) is a spa town in Austria. It lies in the southern part of Upper Austria, at the Traun River in the centre of the Salzkammergut region. The town consists of the Katastralgemeinden ''Ahorn'', ''Bad Ischl'', ''Haiden ...
while his mother was on holiday. His family left their home town of
Vienna
en, Viennese
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for Australia in 1939 following
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
's annexation of Austria. As his father's grandparents were Jewish, he was also considered Jewish and at risk of being sent to concentration camps. In an interview with
Adam Spencer, Nossal noted that his father was not a professing Jew but of Jewish ethnicity as he had been baptised a Roman Catholic as a child. Nossal remarked that his father "therefore thought that he would be somewhat protected from the Holocaust-type predicament. Of course, he hadn't properly read ''
Mein Kampf
(; ''My Struggle'' or ''My Battle'') is a 1925 autobiographical manifesto by Nazi Party leader Adolf Hitler. The work describes the process by which Hitler became antisemitic and outlines his political ideology and future plans for Ge ...
''. It was all spelt out there: if your four grandparents were Jewish, then you were Jewish." He was baptised and remains a practising Roman Catholic.
Nossal showed interest in medicine and wanted to become a doctor since the age of seven. When he first attended school in Australia, Nossal spoke no English
but he graduated from
St Aloysius' College in 1947
as the
dux of the college.
In 1948, he entered the
Sydney Medical School
The University of Sydney School of Medicine, also known as Sydney Medical School (SMS) is the graduate medical school of the University of Sydney. Established in 1856, it is the first medical school in Australia. In 2018, Sydney Medical School ...
, graduating later with
first-class honours from the
University of Sydney
The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's si ...
. At the age of 26, he left his job in Sydney and moved to
Melbourne
Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/ Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a metro ...
to work with
Macfarlane Burnet in medical science at the
Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research and gained his
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* '' Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. al ...
degree at the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb ...
in 1960.
Religious beliefs
On describing his views on religion Nossal said:
Career
Following the retirement of Macfarlane Burnet in 1965, at the age of 35 Nossal became director of Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research, a position that he kept until 1996. In parallel, he was Professor of Medical Biology at the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb ...
. Nossal's research is in fundamental
immunology
Immunology is a branch of medicineImmunology for Medical Students, Roderick Nairn, Matthew Helbert, Mosby, 2007 and biology that covers the medical study of immune systems in humans, animals, plants and sapient species. In such we can see ther ...
, 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 (1970-1973) of the 30,000-member world body of immunology, the
International Union of Immunological Societies
The International Union of Immunological Societies (IUIS), a member of the International Council for Science, is an organization which serves as an umbrella organization for many national and regionally grouped immunological societies. The organi ...
; President of the
Australian Academy of Science (1994-1998); a member of the Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (
PMSEIC
The Prime Minister's Science, Engineering and Innovation Council (PMSEIC) is the Australian government's principal source of advice on science, engineering and innovation issues, as well as relevant aspects of education and training. When PMSEIC wa ...
) (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
The World Health Organization (WHO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for international public health. The WHO Constitution states its main objective as "the attainment by all peoples of the highest possible level o ...
's Vaccines and Biologicals Program (1993-2002) and Chairman of the Strategic Advisory Council of the
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF), a merging of the William H. Gates Foundation and the Gates Learning Foundation, is an American private foundation founded by Bill Gates and Melinda French Gates. Based in Seattle, Washington, it was ...
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 ''"encourage Australia’s sustainable national development in a global context."'' Sir Gustav is a member of the Patrons Council of the
Epilepsy Foundation of Victoria
The Epilepsy Foundation is a large Australian charity, headquartered in Surrey Hills, Victoria, which provides evidence-based programs to support to people living with epilepsy, and all those who care for them. Epilepsy Foundation programs are de ...
and of the advisory board of the
Health Impact Fund The Health Impact Fund is a proposed pay-for-performance mechanism that would provide a market-based solution to problems concerning the development and distribution of medicines globally. It would incentivize the research and development of new pha ...
.
Personal life
Nossal is married to Lyn whom he met and later married on completion of his medical course at the University of Sydney. Together, they have four children and nine grandchildren.
Awards and recognition
* 1967 –
Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (FAA)
*1969 –
Phi Beta Kappa Award in Science
*1969 – SSI Honorary Member
*1970 –
Emil von Behring Prize
*1970 –
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
(CBE) for his contribution to medical research
* 1977 –
Knighted for his ground-breaking work in immunology
* 1979 –
Macfarlane Burnet Medal and Lecture by the
Australian Academy of Science
* 1980 – Foreign Fellow of the
Indian National Science Academy
* 1981 –
Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
* 1982 – Awarded the
ANZAAS Medal
* 1982 –
Fellow of the Royal Society
Fellowship of the Royal Society (FRS, ForMemRS and HonFRS) is an award granted by the judges of the Royal Society of London to individuals who have made a "substantial contribution to the improvement of natural knowledge, including mathemati ...
(FRS)
*1982 –
Rostrum Award of Merit, for excellence in the art of public speaking over a considerable period and his demonstration of an effective contribution to society through the spoken word
* 1983 –
Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (HonFRSE)
* 1989 –
Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for his service to medicine, to science and to the community
* 1990 –
Albert Einstein World Award of Science
* 1994 –
James Cook Medal
* 1996 –
Koch Gold Medal,
the prize being awarded for prizes for major advances in biomedical sciences, particularly in the fields of microbiology and immunology.
* 1996 – Fellow of the
Royal Society of Victoria (FRSV)
* 1997 – Listed as one of the 100 Australians identified as
Australia's Living National Treasures
* 2000 –
Australian of the Year
* 2001 –
Centenary Medal for distinguished service to the study of antibody formation and immunological tolerance
* 2002 – Featured on an
Australian postage stamp
* 2006 – Honorary member of the
Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has ...
Golden Key Society
* 2007 – The Nossal Institute for Global Health
at the
University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb ...
was named in honour of Nossal
* 2009 –
Nossal High School, located at the Berwick campus of Monash University, is named in honour of Nossal
* 2010 – Inaugural Monash Medal as an Outstanding Australian for his contribution to the Australian community and beyond
* 2012 –
Monash University
Monash University () is a public research university based in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Named for prominent World War I general Sir John Monash, it was founded in 1958 and is the second oldest university in the state. The university has ...
Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences Lifetime Achievement Award
* Foreign Member of the
Korean Academy of Science and Technology
See also
*
List of Australian of the Year Award recipients
The Australian of the Year Award is given annually on Australia Day. The announcement of the award has become a major public event in Australia, and is televised nationwide. The award "offers an insight into Australian identity, reflecting the ...
References
External links
Short biographyan
on the
Australian Academy of Science website.
The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization—a millennial challenge* Liz Cincotta.
.
The Age
''The Age'' is a daily newspaper in Melbourne, Australia, that has been published since 1854. Owned and published by Nine Entertainment, ''The Age'' primarily serves Victoria (Australia), Victoria, but copies also sell in Tasmania, the Austral ...
, 19 June 2008.
Video of Gustav Nossal lecture on ''The 50-Year Revolution in Global Public Health'', Sydney University, July 2008
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nossal, Gustav
Living people
1931 births
Albert Einstein World Award of Science Laureates
University of Melbourne faculty
Australian biologists
Australian Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Australian immunologists
Australian Knights Bachelor
Australian of the Year Award winners
Companions of the Order of Australia
Fellows of the Australian Academy of Science
Australian Fellows of the Royal Society
Members of the French Academy of Sciences
Foreign associates of the National Academy of Sciences
Fellows of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering
Foreign Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy
People from Bad Ischl
Jewish emigrants from Austria to Australia after the Anschluss
Recipients of the Centenary Medal
Sydney Medical School alumni
WEHI alumni
Australian Roman Catholics
People educated at St Aloysius' College (Sydney)
Presidents of the Australian Academy of Science
Australian republicans