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Professor Goodnow  FAA FRS steps down from Executive Directorship for health reasons after four years at the helm but to continue as senior Faculty and head of Hope Research program.

Garvan celebrates Professor Chris Goodnow and his extensive contributions as Executive Director

Garvan regretfully announces Professor Chris Goodnow’s resignation from the Garvan Institute of Medical Research Executive Directorship, due to heart health complications of COVID-19.

This event adds a personal dimension to Professor Goodnow’s efforts to help develop a better COVID-19 vaccine. He is one of the 3% of people who develop inflammation of the heart muscle as a consequence of SARS-CoV-2 infection. This is one of many complications of COVID-19 not prevented by prior immunisation or infection and which invariably requires an extended convalescence. Professor Goodnow will, in time, return to play an important role in the future of Garvan as a senior member of Faculty and mentor to the next generation of scientists.

Professor Goodnow is recognised as one of Australia’s and the world’s pre-eminent scientists. He is the proud beneficiary of The Bill and Patricia Ritchie Foundation Chair and Professor and Director of the UNSW Cellular Genomics Futures Institute, Faculty of Medicine, UNSW Sydney. He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, Fellow of the Royal Society (UK), and Member of the US National Academy of Sciences and has won numerous awards throughout his illustrious career, most recently receiving the prestigious American Association of Immunologists 

 recognising his outstanding contributions to the field of immunology.

Professor Goodnow took up the Deputy Director role at Garvan in February 2015, relocating his research from the Australian National University (ANU) and accepting a key Faculty appointment where he established the Immunogenomics Laboratory at Garvan. He was appointed Executive Director in mid-2018, succeeding Professor John Mattick AO FAA FTSE.

Over the course of four years Professor Goodnow has strengthened the Institute scientifically and financially. In partnership with the philanthropic community, UNSW, the Weizmann Institute and recently the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute, he has helped build an environment for world-leading researchers to realise the power of DNA and genomics to better diagnose, treat and prevent disease.

During this period the Institute recruited to its leadership team dynamic young leaders of this new field including Professor Daniel MacArthur from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Associate Professor Sarah Kummerfeld from Genentech, Associate Professor Jodie Ingles from Sydney University, Dr Ira Deveson from the Kinghorn Centre for Clinical Genomics, and Associate Professor Owen Siggs from Flinders University. Two of the Institute’s young leaders, Associate Professors Marina Pajic and Owen Siggs, won prestigious eight-year Snow Medical Foundation Fellowships and many won the pre-eminent award from the NHMRC, a five-year Investigator grant.    

During Professor Goodnow’s more than four-year tenure as Executive Director, he has steered the organisation through great change and challenge with valiant determination and optimism. The COVID-19 pandemic was front and centre of these challenges, during which Professor Goodnow:

During his period as Executive Director, Professor Goodnow has continued to have global impact through his breakthrough medical research in antibodies, autoimmune diseases, and immune system regulation. He has co-authored 78 scientific papers during this time, making ground-breaking contributions to these fields. Some of Professor Goodnow’s proudest scientific achievements as Executive Director include:

The decision to step down from the Executive Directorship does not alter Professor Goodnow’s ongoing commitment to Garvan and membership of Garvan Faculty, or his scientific career and ambitions for impact.  

Garvan will launch an international search for an Executive Director in due course and extends thanks and gratitude to Garvan’s Deputy Director, Professor Peter Croucher, for accepting the role of Interim Executive Director to steer the organisation over the coming months. The directors of Garvan and Garvan Research Foundation Boards also extend their most sincere best wishes to Professor Goodnow for his full recovery.   