John Stocker

John Wilcox Stocker AO (born 23 April 1945) is an Australian immunologist and the former Chairman of the Board of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), the national government body for scientific research in Australia. Stocker is a former Chief Scientist of Australia. Education Stocker's undergraduate studies were at the University of Melbourne, completing his Bachelor of Medical Science in 1969, and his Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery in 1970. In 1976, he completed his Ph.D. at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research in Melbourne. Career On completion of his studies, Stocker joined the Basel Institute for Immunology in Switzerland and in 1979 he took a position with Hoffmann–La Roche in Basel. At Hoffmann–La Roche, his first role involved the study of monoclonal antibodies and leading a task force investigating opportunities for scientific and commercial development of biotechnology-based vaccines. While with Hoffmann–La Roche, he would later serve as Director of Pharmaceutical Research. In 1987, Stocker returned to Australia as the founding Managing Director of the commercial biomedical company, AMRAD Corporation Ltd. CSIRO Stocker was appointed the Chief Executive Officer of the CSIRO in 1990 and held the role until 1995. In 1996, Stocker was appointed by the Minister for Science and Technology, Peter McGauran, to the position of Chief Scientist of Australia. The role was a part-time position, Stocker working one day a week. He left the position in 1999.