Biography - Professor John A. Windsor

Professor John Windsor

Professor Windsor was born in London to New Zealand parents who were medical missionaries in Northern India. After completing secondary schooling at Woodstock School in the Himalayas he returned to New Zealand to complete a science degree in Biochemistry and Physiology at the University of Otago. He completed his medical training and undertook his general surgical training in Auckland. During this time he also complete a doctorate on the influence of malnutrition on peri-operative risk under the supervision of Professor Graham Hill. After becoming a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons he further his clinical interests at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh under the guidance of Sir David Carter. It was during this time that he developed a particular interest in acute pancreatitis, pancreatic surgery, advanced laparoscopic surgery and ERCP.

He is currently Professor of Surgery and Head of the Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, University of Auckland in Auckland, New Zealand. He has an honorary appointment at Auckland City Hospital and has a private practice at the MercyAscot Integrated Hospitals. He founded the Pancreas Research Group in 1992, established the Surgical Skills Training Centre in 1993 and set-up the first HPB/Upper GI Unit, Auckland Hospital in 1994. He became an elected Fellow of the American College of Surgeons in 1999. He was a finalist in the national tertiary teaching excellence award (innovation category) and received the Distinguished Teacher Award and the Butland Distinguished Medical Science Award in 1998.

John Windsor is an active researcher and maintains a laboratory investigating aspects of the pathophysiology of acute necrotizing pancreatitis. He has collaborations with the Bioengineering Institute, School of Biological Sciences and the Centre for Health Services Research and Policy. He has received numerous grants, has authored more than 100 contributions to the peer-reviewed literature, given more than 100 invited presentation and is on several Editorial Boards. He is a founding director of GoVirtual Medical Ltd that has developed a new approach to simulation training. He is married with 5 children, who are 5th generation living in the family home.