Through continued and careful investigations, Professor Mackenzie has contributed to solving the problems of the tropics in his studies related to Japanese encephalitis virus. He and his colleagues have investigated the phylogeny, virus movement into Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait islands, the kind of mosquitoes involved in transmission, risk analysis about establishment in new areas, and elucidating the ecology of the virus in Papua New Guinea and the Torres Strait. Latest Biography/Profile of Organisation: Prof. Mackenzie was the Premier’s Fellow and Professor of Tropical Infectious Diseases at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Curtin University, Australia, a post that he took up in May 2004 until his retirement in 2008. Prof. Mackenzie also holds several other positions, including Honorary Professor, University of Queensland (2004-2022); Honorary Senior Fellow, Burnet Institute, Melbourne (2004-present); part-time Senior Technologist, PathWest, Perth (2018 to present).
Since migrating to the Asia Pacific region 50 years ago, Prof. Mackenzie has embraced the region and its challenges. His work became increasingly focused on viruses of this region, particularly arboviral diseases, emerging zoonotic diseases, and the concept of One Health. Earlier, Prof. Mackenzie contributed much to influenza research. Through his work at his laboratory, he discovered the H15 component of avian influenza, and demonstrated the role of migratory waders in carrying the virus between continents. He also worked on clinical trials of a live attenuated influenza vaccine, and on factors that might predispose to influenza infection in a mouse model system.
Throughout his career, Prof. Mackenzie has taken continuous steps to bring about change through his research using the four-fold approach. He starts by undertaking excellent science, followed by making sure that the findings of the science are well-known by publishing and speaking in international floors. He ensures training is available to junior scientists as well as facilitating training for scientists; and finally he does everything possible to translate science into policy and practice.
At present, Prof. Mackenzie is an Emeritus Professor of Curtin University in Perth. Professor Mackenzie’s contributions both in terms of value and impact are well reflected through his recent involvement in the two major events affecting the Asian region, namely the SARS outbreak in 2002-03 and the Asian Tsunami in 2004-05. Professor Mackenzie led the first major team that went into China to study the origin of the SARS virus, as well as laboratory safety surrounding the handling of the coronavirus virus that was shown to be the cause of SARS. During the tragic Indian Ocean Tsunami event, Professor Mackenzie was one of the first experts called part of the WHO response helping to set up laboratory capacity by coordinating the various offers of assistance and providing practical advice.
Recognition of his expertise by the world can be gauged from his involvement in the WHO. Prof. Mackenzie was a member of in the Steering Committee for the Global Outbreak Alert and Response Network (GOARN) (2000-2017). He was also a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Global Health Security, (2001-2004). Other involvements with the WHO include, 1982-present, Consultant in Virus Diseases; 1984-1998, Director, WHO Collaborating Centre for the Collection and Dissemination of Data on Virus Diseases of Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific; 2000, Member, Technical Consultation on Nipah Virus, Kuala Lumpur; 2003, Convenor, SARS International Research Advisory Committee; and 2005, Member, Tsunami relief team, Indonesia; 2005-2016, Member of the Asia-Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases; 2009-2010, Chair of the first WHO-IHR Emergency Committee for H1N1 Pandemic Influenza; 2014 to present, member of the WHO-IHR Emergency Committee for Polio; and 2020 to present, member of the WHO-IHR Emergency Committee for COVID-19 . Most recently, Prof Mackenzie was appointed to the FAO/OIE/UNEP/WHO One Health High Level Expert Panel.
Prof. Mackenzie’s contribution to his field is evidenced by his publications. He has authored or co-authored more than 350 publications on infectious emerging diseases in particular arboviral diseases, and emerging tropical infectious diseases. He has also served in many international editorial boards, including Ecohealth (2003-present); FEMS Microbiological Reviews (1996-2003); Emerging Infectious Diseases (1998-present); One Health (2015-2018); One Health Outlook (2019- to present); Microbiology Australia (1995-2004); and Virus Information Exchange Newsletter (1984-92); and Ecology of Disease (1982-1986).
Prof. Mackenzie has also shown his commitment to ensure appropriate fora are available for regional scientists. As the Foundation Editor for the “Virus Information Exchange Newsletter”, published for laboratories in South East Asia and the Western Pacific by the WHO Collaborating Centre for Collection and Dissemination of Data on Virus Diseases between 1984 and 1992, he provided the means through the Newsletter for the laboratories in the region to share information about viruses and virus disease, their research activities and diagnostic results.
Prof. Mackenzie’s eminence in emerging tropical diseases research has been recognized by his appointment as a member of numerous national and international scientific/expert committees, including as Secretary-General of the International Union of Microbiological Societies (1999-2005); Past President of the Australian Society for Microbiology; Past President of the Asia-Pacific Society for Medical Virology; Member of the Australian National Committee for the Eradication of Poliovirus; Member; member of the National Arbovirus and Malaria Advisory Committee of Australia; Member of the Center for Infection and Immunity, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York; and Co-Founder and Vice-Chair, One Health Platform Foundation;
Over the years, Prof. Mackenzie has received numerous awards, including appointment as an Officer in the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, 2002; Fellow of the American Academy of Microbiology in 1997; Co-recipient, James H Nakano Citation of the National Centre for Infectious Diseases of the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention in 1999; Excellence in Virology Award, Asian-Pacific Society for Medical Virology in 2000; Nomination for a share in the Charles C Shepard Science Award for the most outstanding peer-reviewed research paper published by CDC/ATSDR scientists in 1999; Distinguished Service Award of The Australian Society for Microbiology, Inc. in 2000; 1996, Co-recipient, the Medical Journal of Australia/Wyeth Research Award for the best original research paper published in the Medical Journal of Australia during 1996; inaugural recipient of the Academy of Sciences Malaysia’s Mahathir Science Award for Excellence in Tropical Science Research in 2005; Elected to the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, in 2015; Distinguished International Fellow of the American Society for Tropical Medicine and Hygiene, in 2021.