John is Associate Dean and Head of the Medical Discipline at Curtin University.

He is a Gastroenterologist & Hepatologist with over 30 years experience as a specialist, primarily at The Fiona Stanley Fremantle Hospital Group where was Head and of Gastroenterology from 2010 until July 2020. He has a strong interest in teaching and mentoring medical trainees.

John has experience in the private and public health care sectors in Australia and overseas. He has led the implementation of state wide and national pathways for clinical care. He has a track record of continuous NHMRC funding since 1999 for research in the field of liver disease, focusing predominantly on basic and clinical research in iron overload disorders and the pathogenesis of chronic liver injury and cancer. He has over 250 publications, an H index of 66 and over 16,900 citations. He collaborates extensively within Australia and overseas. 

Highlights include recent publications in The New England Journal of Medicine and Cell Genomics, the Distinguished Research Prize by the Gastroenterology Society of Australia in 2016, a ‘Ten of the Best Award 2020’ by the NHMRC and a West Australian “Curtinnovation” award in 2021 for discovery of a new predictive genomic biomarker panel for future liver cancer, and Fellowship of the Gastroenterology Society of Australia in 2022.

He has supervised at least 14 PhD completions and numerous gastroenterology advanced trainees. Currently, he is deputy chair of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians Overseas Trained Physician Panel which assesses suitability and training of overseas trained medical specialists for practice in Australia.