Emeritus Professor Alan Johnson AM, DipLaw GDLP MA(Hons), MEdMgmt, BAppSc, PhD, DSc has 30 years of research, research management and research training experience in a range of organisations, including universities, Australian Government agencies, hospitals and international research organisations. 

Professor Johnson now works as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of South Australia.

He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in biomedical technology from SAIT, followed by a PhD in parasite immunology from Flinders University. He was a Fulbright Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the US Department of Agriculture and was awarded the Bancroft-Mackerras Medal of the Australian Society for Parasitology for outstanding research and a Doctor of Science degree in protozoan biology from the University of Wollongong. Professor Johnson has published over 100 internationally refereed journal articles and received over $3.5 million in competitive grant funding.

Professor Johnson has an MA (Hons) in technology and social change from the University of Wollongong and a Master’s degree in educational management from Flinders University, in the use of citation indexing to measure university department performance. He is a distinguished alumnus of Flinders University.

He was Professor of Microbiology at UTS and had two terms as Chair of the UTS Academic Board. For this service he was recognised as an Emeritus Professor at UTS. He has been an Adjunct Professor in the School of Business at UNSW. In recognition of his service to science in the field of molecular parasitology, to scientific research and education, and as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal for Parasitology, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2006.

He was a member of the Australian Research Council’s College of Experts, then seconded as Executive Director for Biological Sciences and Biotechnology to the ARC. He was a member of the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Working Group on Preventive Health and Strengthening Australia’s Social and Economic Fabric.

Under Professor Johnson’s leadership as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Adelaide a Federation Fellow and an Australia Fellow were appointed and the university’s annual research revenue exceeded $100M for the first time.

Professor Johnson was a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (FAICD) and Foundation Chair of the Research Funding Panel of industry owned company Sugar Research Australia.

He established an international consultancy, Research Management Services International www.rmsinternational.com an Australian based research project management company. It provides a range of services to improve the productivity and effectiveness of investment in the research of universities, hospitals, medical research institutes, government agencies and not-for-profit organisations interested in pursuing research. He was the Chair of the Advisory Board of Murdoch University Ngangk Yira Research Centre for Aboriginal Health and Social Equity and a National Director of the Order of Australia Association.

In October 2024 having completed a Diploma in Law of the Legal Profession Admission Board of NSW and a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, he was admitted as a Barrister and Solicitor of the Supreme Court of South Australia.