John Mattick, PhD is Professor of RNA Biology at UNSW Sydney. He was previously the Chief Executive of Genomics England, Executive Director of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Director of the Institute for Molecular Biology at the University of Queensland, and Director of the Australian Genome Research Facility.
Dr. Mattick has made several seminal contributions to molecular biology, including delineation of the architecture and function of the fatty acid synthase complex, development of one of the first recombinant DNA-based vaccines, and genetic characterization of bacterial surface filaments involved in host colonization. Dr. Mattick has also pioneered a new view of the genetic programming of humans and other complex organisms by showing that the majority of the genome, previously considered ‘junk’, actually specifies a dynamic network of regulatory RNAs that guide differentiation and development. He has published almost 300 research articles and his work has received coverage in Nature, Science, Scientific American, New Scientist and the New York Times, among others. In 2022, Dr. Mattick published a book titled, RNA, the Epicenter of Genomic Information.
Dr. Mattick obtained his BSc from the University of Sydney and his PhD from Monash University. He undertook his postdoctoral training at Baylor College of Medicine at the Texas Medical Center in Houston.