In his role his role as head of the Wellington Blood and Cancer Centre, John was an early ally in the Malaghan Institute’s first cancer immunotherapy trials in the late 1990s and remained a close friend and colleague, helping guide the institute in transforming its research into the clinic. In 2003 he joined the institute’s Trust Board and in 2021 was appointed Deputy Chair. He was recognised posthumously as a Distinguished Trustee in 2022.
An Associate Professor of the University of Otago, John clinically practiced as a haematologist with a focus on stem cell transplantation.
John was deeply knowledgeable about how to work within the New Zealand health and regulatory ecosystem and at the governance level, brought real people skills and the appropriate specialist perspective, guiding the institute’s science and clinical developments.