Dr Colin Ward was born at Cootamundra, Australia in 1943. He completed his BSc at UNSW where he was also a talented rugby union player. He then completed his PhD on the biochemistry of parasitic nematodes, and became a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Massechusetts, USA.
Ward returned to Australia in 1970 and joined CSIRO as a research scientist. During 37 years at CSIRO he held various senior positions, including assistant chief. In 2007 he joined the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research.
Ward was internationally recognised for his work on the influenza virus antigens haemagglutinin and neuraminidase, which attracted international attention. In later work he unraveled the 3D-structures of the extracellular domains of four growth factor receptors: IGF-1R, insulinR, EGFR and erbB2. Ward led and inspired the teams involved in this work, and his insight into the protein chemistry and biological implications of the structures revolutionised our understanding of the activation mechanisms for these receptors.
Ward was made a Fellow of the Academy in 2011, and most recently served on the Inter-disciplinary Sectional Committee from 2015 to 2016.
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