Biological scientist Colin Ward's research has contributed to the decoding some of science's enduring problems. Between 1970 and 1990 at the CSIRO he was involved in or led some of CSIRO's landmark projects including understanding how new epidemics and new pandemics of human influenza virus emerge, providing sequence data for the crystallography used in the development of the anti-influenza drug Relenza, the development of a successful taxonomy of potyviruses, the largest and most complex group of plant viruses and the development of recombinant vaccines for ovine footrot, a major bacterial infection of sheep (run by his CSIRO colleague Thomas Charles Elleman) and for infectious bursal disease virus, a major immunosuppressive viral infection in poultry (jointly run with his CSIRO colleague Ahmed Abdullah Azad). From 1990 until his departure from the CSIRO in 2006 he led the highly successful research program focused on the 3-dimensional structure of members of the human insulin receptor family and its signalling pathways. In a related project his group solved the 3D structure of the closely related epidermal growth factor receptor and its 2:2 complex with one of its ligands Transforming Growth Factor-. His group also solved the crystal structure of another member of the EGFR family, ErbB2, which does not bind ligand but is the preferred heterodimer partner of the other ligand-bound, activated members of the EGFR family. In 2007 he took up a position as Part Time Research Fellow at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute to continue his work studying insulin receptors. In 2015 he became an Honorary Research Associate of the Institute. On leaving CSIRO he conceived, compiled and edited for the first 10 years (2007-2017) the website www.CSIROpedia.CSIRO.au which explores some of CSIR(O)'s greatest innovations and discoveries since its establishment in 1926. It focuses on achievements that have been recognised by major honours and awards or research that has had significant commercial outcomes or benefit to society and provides brief biographies of the key scientists responsible.
Ward has been awarded the CSIRO Chairman's Medal for Science and Engineering Excellence:
1994 - (jointly with Dharma Shukla) for their work on the structure, variation and taxonomy of the Potyviridae, the largest family of plant viruses;
1997 - (as joint team leader with Ahmed Azad, Kevin Fahey and Neil McKern) for their outstanding contributions to our knowledge of the structure and biology of the Birnaviridae family of double-stranded RNA viruses;
2006 - as leader of the team (with Michael Lawrence, Neil McKern, Lindsay Sparrow and colleagues) that determined the molecular structure of the human insulin receptor.
1964
1964
Education - Bachelor of Science (Hons 1), School of Wool Technology, University of New South Wales
1967
1967
Education - Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), on parasitic nematodes, School of Wool Technology and the School of Biological Sciences, University of New South Wales
1968
1969
Career position - Fellow, Department of Zoology, University of Massachusetts, United States of America
1970
1973
Career position - Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Protein Chemistry
1973
1977
Career position - Senior Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Protein Chemistry
1977
1983
Career position - Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Protein Chemistry
1983
1984
Career position - Visiting Fellow, Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics, University of California, USA
1983
1987
Career position - Senior Principal Research Scientist, CSIRO Division of Protein Chemistry
1987
1989
Career position - Chief Research Scientist (CRS1), CSIRO Division of Biotechnology
1990
1992
Career position - Assistant Chief of the CSIRO Division of Biomolecular Engineering
1992
1997
Career position - Chief Research Scientist (CRS 2), CSIRO Division of Biomolecular Engineering
1992
1997
Career position - Deputy Chief of the CSIRO Division of Biomolecular Engineering
1994
1994
Award - CSIRO Chairman's Medal for Science and Engineering Excellence (jointly with Dharma Shukla)
1995
1995
Award - Australian Medal of Agricultural Science (for potyvirus research, with Dharma Shukla), Australian Institute of Agricultural Science
1995
1996
Award - Fellow, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science (FAIAS)
1996
2002
Career position - Member, Executive Committee, International Committee on the Taxonomy of Viruses
1997
1997
Award - CSIRO Chairman's Medal for Science and Engineering Excellence (with Ahmed Azad, Kevin Fahey, Neil McKern and colleagues)
1997
2005
Career position - CSIRO Fellow, CSIRO Division of Molecular Science
1997
2017
Award - Fellow, Australian Institute of Agricultural Science and Technology
1998
1998
Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (FTSE)
2000
2000
Award - University of NSW Alumni Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
1 Jan 2001
1 Jan 2001
Award - Centenary Medal - for service to Australian society in molecular biology and medical technology
2001
2001
Award - Leach Lecturer and Medallist, Annual Lorne Protein Conference and Function
2005
2006
Career position - CSIRO Fellow, CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies
2006
Career position - Part-time Research Fellow, Walter and Eliza Hall Institute for Medical Research (WEHI)
2006
2006
Career event - Retired from the CSIRO Molecular and Health Technologies
2006
2006
Award - CSIRO Chairman's Medal for Science and Engineering Excellence (as team leader)
2007
2007
Award - Lemberg Lecturer and Medallist, awarded by the Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
2008
2008
Award - Harrison Lecturer, awarded by the Endocrine Society of Australia
2011
2017
Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Science (FAA)