Meet John
Dr. John Mattick is the SHARP Professor of RNA Biology at UNSW Sydney. His career includes significant leadership roles, including Executive of Genomics England and Director of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney. In addition, he served as the Foundation Director of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience and the Australian Genome Research Facility at the University of Queensland.
Professor Mattick’s work has revolutionized our knowledge of the human genome and noncoding RNAs in the evolution and development of humans and other complex organisms. His work challenged the traditional view that most of the genome is “junk”, and demonstrated that this portion of the genome encodes a sophisticated regulatory system, driven by RNA, that governs epigenetic processes, cellular differentiation, development, and disease.
A globally renowned expert in this field, Professor Mattick has published over 300 scientific articles, cited more than 100,000 times, and is ranked the #1 scholar worldwide in noncoding RNA and #4 in RNA research. He has received several awards including the Associate Membership of the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO), the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Medal, the Human Genome Organization Chen Medal for Distinguished Academic Achievement in Human Genetics and Genomic Research, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Bertner Award for Distinguished Contributions to Cancer Research.
