Professor Sir John is the executive director of the Melbourne Academic Centre for Health (July 2019-present) after having served as an honorary consultant in renal and acute medicine in the UK (1990-2018).
In 2000 he established the Medical Research Council (MRC) Centre for Inflammation Research in Edinburgh as inaugural director. Professor Sir John served as Vice-Principal and Head of the College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine at the University of Edinburgh (2002-17) and was appointed to the Regius Chair of Medical Science in 2017. He was Chief Scientist in the Scottish Government Health Directorates (2008-10) and Chief Executive of the UK Medical Research Council (2010-18), having previously served as a member of the MRC Council and research board chair (2002-08).
Professor Sir John’s work has been recognized by fellowships of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of London and Edinburgh, the Academy of Medical Sciences, the American Society of Nephrology, The Royal Society of Edinburgh, The Royal Society, and honorary fellowships from the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health. He was knighted in the 2008 New Year’s Honours List for services to clinical science.