Chief Scientific Advisor at Evergreen Life, and our Genetic Expert. John Mattick is Professor of RNA Biology at UNSW Sydney, and one of the world’s foremost experts in the field. He was previously Chief Executive of Genomics England, where he developed the 2019-2023 UK National Vision and Plan for Genomic Healthcare.

Professor John Mattick AO FAA FTSE FAHMS FRSN FRCPA(Hon)

Chief Scientific Advisor and Chair of Scientific Advisory Board

Meet Professor John Mattick AO FAA FTSE FAHMS FRSN FRCPA(Hon), Chief Scientific Advisor at Evergreen Life, and our Genetic Expert.

BACKGROUND

John Mattick is Professor of RNA Biology at UNSW Sydney, and one of the world’s foremost experts in the field. He was previously Chief Executive of Genomics England, where he developed the 2019-2023 UK National Vision and Plan for Genomic Healthcare. Prior to that he was Director of the Garvan Institute of Medical Research in Sydney, Foundation Director of the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the University of Queensland, and Foundation Director of the Australian Genome Research Facility.

Professor Mattick is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, the AustralianAcademy of Technology & Engineering, the Australian Academy of Health & Medical Sciences and the Royal Society of NSW. He is also an Associate Member of the European Molecular Biology Organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

BSc(Honours), Biochemistry, University of Sydney

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD),Biochemistry, Monash University

AWARDS

Professor Mattick’s honours and awards include appointment as an Officer in the Order of Australia, the inaugural Gutenberg Professorship at the University of Strasbourg, Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia, the Australian Government Centenary Medal, the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Lemberg Medal, the International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Medal, the Human Genome Organisation Chen Medal for Distinguished Achievement in Human Genetics and Genomic Research, and the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Bertner Award for Distinguished Contributions to Cancer Research.

PUBLICATIONS

Professor John Mattick has published over 300 scientific articles, which have been cited over 80,000 times. His work has received editorial coverage in Nature, Science, Scientific American, New Scientist and the New York Times. Here are few examples of his work:

Mattick JS (2004) RNA regulation: a new genetics? Nature Reviews Genetics 5: 316-323.

G Bejerano, Pheasant M, Makunin I, Stephen S, Kent WJ, Mattick JS and Haussler D (2004) Ultraconserved elements in the human genome. Science 304 (5675), 1321-1325

Mercer T, Dinger M & Mattick Js (2009) Long non-coding RNAs: insights into functions. Nature Reviews Genetics 10, 155–159 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrg2521

Mattick JS (2011) The central role of RNA in human development and cognition. FEBS Letters 585: 1600–1616.

Mattick JS, Taft RJ and Faulkner GJ (2010) A global view of genomic information – moving beyond the gene and the master regulator. Trends in Genetics 26: 21-28.

Mercer TR and Mattick JS (2013) Structure and function of long noncoding RNAs in epigenetic regulation. Nature Structural and Molecular Biology 20: 300-307.

Morris KV and Mattick JS (2014) The rise of regulatory RNA. Nature Reviews Genetics 15: 423–437 (doi:10.1038/nrg3722).

Doble B, Schofield DJ, Tony Roscioli T and Mattick JS (2016) The promise of personalised medicine. The Lancet 387: 433–434 (doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00176-8).

INTERESTS & SPECIALISMS

Professor Mattick is best known for showing that the majority of the human genome is not junk but rather organises our growth and development. He also developed one of the first genetically engineered vaccines and established one of the world’s first facilities capable of sequencing human genomes for $1,000, along with one of the first clinically accredited centres for whole genome analysis in healthcare.