P007980 revised AU-VU:EOAS Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation

All key entry types: Awards; Concepts; Corporate Bodies (Organisations); Cultural Artefacts; People; etc

These key entries are listed separately below with other indexes and lists.

 English AACR2 Anglo-American Cataloguing Rules Person created 2026-02-16 human Gavan McCarthy updated 2026-02-26 human https://www.eoas.info/biogs/P007980b.htm person Johnston Graham Allen Ross AM FTSE FRACI FRSN FASCEPT AACR2 7 June 1939 Place of Birth Sydney, New South Wales, Australia Medicinal chemist Pharmacologist Graham Johnston was Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Sydney for 31 years. He trained as an organic chemist and carried out research at the interface between chemistry and pharmacology. Later in his career he served as President of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and the Australasian Society for Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists. He was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia for services to bio-organic chemistry and pharmacology, to scientific organisations and to science policy development. Johnston formally retired in 2011 to become an Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry, continuing research studies on the neurotransmitter GABA.

Graham Johnston published more than 450 research articles in medicinal chemistry, neuroscience and pharmacology. He had more than 33,000 citations in Google Scholar to January 2026, 3 publications are Citation Classics, and 86 have been cited more than 100 times (h-index: 92 publications have been cited at least 92 times). His many excellent students and co-workers have enabled him to participate in such well received studies. The Encyclopedia holds a copy of a list of his scientific publications from 1961 - 2026. This is available on request.

1959 1959 Award - Royal Australian Chemical Institute, NSW Branch Student Prize 1959 1959 Education - Bachelor of Science (BSc) (1st Class Honours & University Medal in Organic Chemistry), The University of Sydney 1960 1960 Education - Master of Science (MSc), The University of Sydney 1961 1961 Award - Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 Overseas Studentship 1964 1964 Education - PhD in Organic Chemistry, University of Cambridge 1964 1964 Career position - Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Laboratory of Chemical Biodynamics, University of California Berkeley 1964 1964 Award - International Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, US National Institutes of Health 1965 1980 Career position - Research Fellow, Fellow and Senior Fellow, Department of Pharmacology, John Curtin School of Medical Research, Australian National University, Canberra 1975 1975 Career position - Study leave at the Royal Danish School of Pharmacy, University of Copenhagen 1980 2011 Career position - Professor of Pharmacology, Sydney Medical School, University of Sydney 1985 1985 Award - Adrien Albert Award Royal Australian Chemical Institute, Division of Medicinal and Agricultural Chemistry 1985 1987 Career position - Chairman RACI Division of Medicinal and Agricultural Chemistry 1988 1988 Award - Liversidge Lecturer at the Centenary ANZAAS Congress in Sydney 1989 1989 Award - Inaugural Australasian Society for Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists (ASCEP) Visiting Lecturer to the British Pharmacological Society 1989 1989 Award - H.G. Smith Memorial Medal, awarded by the Royal Australian Chemical Institute for contributions to chemical science in Australia during the previous 10 years 1989 1993 Career position - Sub-Dean (Research) Faculty of Medicine, The University of Sydney 1991 1994 Career position - Foundation President, Asian Pacific Society for Neurochemistry 1992 1993 Career position - President, Royal Australian Chemical Institute 1993 Award - Fellow, Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering 1993 1993 Award - Inaugural Michael Rand Medal, awarded by The Australasian Society for Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists for outstanding contributions to the discipline of clinical and experimental pharmacology and toxicology 1996 1996 Award - Leighton Memorial Medal, the most prestigious award of the Royal Australian Chemical Institute in recognition of eminent services to chemistry in Australia 1997 1997 Award - ANZAAS Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science for contributions to science particularly in the area of science policy 1998 1998 Award - Member, Order of Australia, for services to bio-organic chemistry and pharmacology, to scientific organisations and to science policy development 2001 2001 Award - Centenary Medal, Commonwealth of Australia, for service to Australian society in pharmacology 2001 2011 Career position - Member of the Technical Advisory Group (TAG) of the National Industrial Chemicals Notification and Assessment Scheme (NICNAS) 2004 2011 Career position - Director (Research Programs), Herbal Medicines Research and Education Centre (HMREC), The University of Sydney 2007 2007 Award - Doctor Pharmaciae honoris causa, University of Copenhagen 2008 2008 Award - Australasian Society for Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT) Achievement Award for outstanding service to Australasian pharmacology 2010 2010 Award - ASCEPT Life Member 2011 Career position - Emeritus Professor of Pharmacology and Medicinal Chemistry, Sydney Pharmacy School, University of Sydney 2014 Award - Royal Australian Chemical Institute Life Member 2014 2015 Career position - Historian, International Society of Neurochemistry 2015 2015 Award - Fellow, Royal Society of New South Wales 2016 2016 Award - Graham Johnston Best Thesis Award Royal Australian Chemical Institute Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Medical Biology 2020 Award - Fellow of the Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists 2024 2024 Award - Named in the top 0.05% of all scholars worldwide by ScholarGPS, California as an inaugural Highly Ranked Scholar. Ranked 55 in pharmacology and toxicology Spurling, Thomas Harley (Tom) (1940 - ) Shoppee, Charles William (1904 - 1994)

Co-authored papers 1961 - 1962

 Curtis, David Roderick (1927 - 2017)

Co-authored 48 papers 1967 - 1982

 Adrien Albert Award, RACI - Division of Medicinal and Agricultural Chemistry (1983 - )

Received the Award 1985

 RACI - Medicinal Chemistry & Chemical Biology Division, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (c. 2016 - )

Graham Johnston Best Thesis Award established 2016

 Royal Society of New South Wales (1866 - )

Fellow 2015 -

 ANZAAS Medal, Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement of Science (1965 - )

Awarded the Medal 1997

 Leighton Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (1965 - )

Awared the medal 1996

 Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (1987 - )

Fellow 1989 -

 H. G. Smith Memorial Medal, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (1929 - )

Awarded the medal 1989

 Australasian Society for Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (1966 - )

Inaugural ASCEP Visiting Lecturer to the British Pharmacological Society 1989; ASCEPT Achievement Award for outstanding service to Australasian pharmacology 2008; Life Member 2010 - ; Fellow 2020 -

 RACI - Division of Medicinal and Agricultural Chemistry, Royal Australian Chemical Institute (1983 - 1989)

Chairman 1985 - 1987

 Royal Australian Chemical Institute (RACI) (1953 - )

President 1992 - 1993; Life Member 2014 -

 'Johnston, Graham Allen Ross', in Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation, Centre for Transformative Innovation, Swinburne University of Technology Johnston, Graham Allen Ross Swinburne University of Technology, Centre for Transformative Innovation Encyclopedia of Australian Science and Innovation Journal Article: Boden, Alexander (1913 - 1993), manufacturing chemist, author and publisher of science Johnston, G. A. R. Boden, Alexander (1913 - 1993), manufacturing chemist, author and publisher of science 1994 Chemistry in Australia 61 157 Journal Article: Adrien Albert (1907 - 1989) Johnston, Graham A. R. Adrien Albert (1907 - 1989) 1990 Trends in pharmacological sciences 11 4 142 Journal Article: Medicinal chemistry in the Royal Australian Chemical Institute: the early years Johnston, Graham A. R. Medicinal chemistry in the Royal Australian Chemical Institute: the early years 2026 ChemMedChem 21 6