Pioneers, parasites and the remarkable Mackerras-Bancroft story: Emeritus Professor Colin Mackerras

From wartime breakthroughs to modern-day discoveries, Emeritus Professor Colin Mackerras reflects on his remarkable family legacy, including his uncle Ian Mackerras, QIMR’s very first director, and his aunt Josephine Bancroft, a pioneering scientist in her own right. Together, they helped shape the future of health in Australia. It’s science, yes, but it’s also love, legacy, and the lives behind the lab coats.  

Colin Mackerras about his legendary aunt and uncle, Josephine Bancroft and Ian Mackerras, QIMR’s first director. They were a powerhouse research couple who loved science almost as much as they loved fishing (and yes, they tested the fish before they ate them). Funny, inspiring, and deeply human. This is the side of medical research you don’t usually hear.