Professor John Bertram

Head, Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology

Telephone: +61 3 9902 9100
Email: john.bertram@monash.edu

John Bertram obtained his BSc (Honours) at the University of Western Australia and his PhD at Flinders University. Then followed postdoctoral positions at the University of Western Australia and the University of Washington in Seattle. In 1986, he was appointed Lecturer in the Department of Anatomy and Cell Biology at the University of Melbourne, and was subsequently promoted to Associate Professor and Reader. In 1998, John was appointed Professor and Head of Anatomy and Developmental Biology in the School of Biomedical Sciences at Monash University.

John’s research focuses on; (1) the number and size of human glomeruli and links with birth weight, race, body size, age and blood pressure; (2) podocyte depletion and links with risk factors for chronic kidney disease; (3) kidney and ureter development; (4) environmental and genetic determinants of nephron endowment; and (5) the consequences of suboptimal kidney development for adult health. He has published more than 200 original research articles, review articles and book chapters. 

John is currently the co-Chair of the Healthy Start to Life research initiative of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences. This 350 member network supports and enhances research at Monash and its affiliated hospitals and research institutes, focused on embryonic, fetal and postnatal development, and the consequences of suboptimal development for adult health.

A major technique used throughout John's research has been stereology. John is a former President of the International Society for Stereology (www.stereologysociety.org). He has developed new methods for counting nephrons in developing kidneys, and for counting podocytes.