Kolling Institute of Medical Research - Directors

Directors

Dr Max (Rudi) Lemberg held an appointment within the institute from 1935 to 1972, establishing a major research focus on porphyrins, structures within molecules which give the red colour to blood and the yellow colour to bile. Rudi Lemberg became a Fellow of the Royal Society and was one of the founders of biochemistry in Australia.

Bill Ingram was succeeded in 1974 by Dr David Nelson who directed the Institute until his untimely death in 1989. David Nelson's research focus was in immune responses and allergy, particularly the involvement of the blood coagulation system in these processes.

Professor Robert Baxter became the third director of the Kolling Institute in 1994. Professor Baxter is an international leader in the endocrinology, cell biology and biochemistry of cellular growth factors and is listed as an Institute for Scientific Information highly cited researcher. The existing endocrinology research group (led by Dr Bruce Robinson) expanded into insulin growth factors and IGF binding proteins. Professor Baxter resigned as Director in December 2011, and is continuing with his research interests at the Institute.

In January 2012, Professor Jonathan Morris commenced as the fourth Director of the Kolling Institute. Professor Morris is the Associate Dean and Head of the Northern Clinical School. Professor Morris believes that the future direction of the Kolling lies in the adoption of the academic health centre culture, where medical research breakthroughs lead to direct clinical benefits for patients .