Prof John Watson

Professor John Watson AM
Consultant Neurologist  BSc (Hons I), MB, BS (Hons I), MD (Syd), DPhil (Oxon), FRACP

Prof Watson commenced medical studies at the University of Sydney in 1973, interrupting this course to take a BSc (First Class Honours) in Neurophysiology. He was the New South Wales Rhodes Scholar for 1977, which enabled him to travel to Oxford University for a Doctorate in Philosophy, also in Neurophysiology. He completed his training at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital and later travelled to London where he was a Lecturer and Senior Registrar in Neurology at the Institute of Neurology, Queen Square and the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, Hammersmith Hospital. After a year in this position he became a Welcome Trust Research Fellow at University College London, and the MRC Cyclotron Unit, Hammersmith Hospital.

Here he undertook functional brain imaging research using Positron Emission Tomography (PET) to explore the visual system of the human brain, and the relationship between the structure and function of the human brain; research he continues to this day. Prof Watson has published some 50 peer reviewed original articles, invited articles and chapters in books. He is regularly invited to give research and clinical lectures and seminars, examines higher degree theses and has supervised seven Masters and Doctoral students. In 2010 he was appointed Professor of Medicine, Sydney Medical School at Sydney Adventist Hospital and is Associate Dean of the University of Sydney’s newest Clinical School, at Sydney Adventist Hospital. He is a Consultant Neurologist at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital, and Head of Department, Consultant Neurologist at Sydney Adventist Hospital, Consultant Neurologist at The Mater Hospital, and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at Royal Prince Alfred Hospital.