Conversations with Australian scientists

Professor Hans-Albert Bachor is a German-born Australian research scientist and academic leader. He was born in Wolfenbüttel, Germany, in 1952 and studied Physics in Hannover, where he received his diploma and doctorate.

Professor Helene Marsh interviewed by Dr Hugh Tyndale-Biscoe in 2000. Professor Helene Marsh was awarded a BSc Hons from the University of Queensland in 1968 and a PhD from James Cook University of North Queensland in 1973. In 1973 she began her lifelong work on marine mammals and their habitat, focusing initially on dugongs.

Professor Howard Worner interviewed by David Salt in 2005. Professor Howard Worner had an extensive career and was a seminal individual in the field of metallurgy. He was born into a farming family in rural Victoria and he attended the Bendigo School of Mines in the early 1930s.

Professor Hugh Possingham completed a DPhil at Oxford University in 1987 on 'A model of resource renewal and depletion'. He has held appointments at Stanford University, the Australian National University, the University of New South Wales and the University of Adelaide, doing research on the application of mathematical and computational tools to understanding ecological systems. Interviewed by David Salt in 2002.

Ian Frazer, born in Glasgow in 1953, trained as a physician and immunologist before focusing on human papillomavirus (HPV) and its link to cervical cancer after moving to Australia. His groundbreaking work with Dr Jian Zhou led to the development of the HPV vaccine, and he now serves as CEO and Director of Research at the Translational Research Institute. Interviewed by Robyn Williams in 2008.

Professor Ian Sloan was inspired by his father’s passion for science and mathematics, leading him from physics studies to a distinguished career in computational mathematics. His work bridged theoretical physics and applied mathematics, emphasizing collaboration, adaptability, and the critical role of mathematics in modelling complex systems and emerging fields like data science. Interviewed by Professor Hans Albert Bachor in 2022

Professor Jacques Miller interviewed by Professor Frank Fenner in 1999. Jacques Miller attended St Aloysius' College in Sydney then went on to study medicine at the University of Sydney. During his medical studies, he took a year off in 1953 to do a BSc in a bacteriology laboratory.

James Waldo (Jim) Lance interviewed by Professor David Burke in 2010. James Waldo (Jim) Lance was born in Wollongong in 1926. Lance completed his medical degree at the University of Sydney in 1950. He began his clinical work as a resident medical officer at the Royal Prince Alfred Hospital (1950-51).

James Douglas (Jim) Morrison was born in Glasgow, Scotland in 1924. Morrison completed his higher education at Glasgow University with a BSc (Hons) in chemistry (1945) and a PhD in X-ray crystallography (1948). Morrison was also awarded a DSc from Glasgow University in 1958. In 1949 Morrison left the cold and gloom of Scotland for sunny Australia and a position as a research officer in the division of Industrial Chemistry at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Professor Jenny Graves interviewed by Professor Roger Short, 2000. Professor Jenny Graves received a BSc Hons from the University of Adelaide in 1964 and an MSc in 1967. Her research for these degrees involved the inactivation of the X chromosome in marsupials.