The John Curtin School of Medical Research was established in 1948 through the combined efforts of Howard Florey (Australian Nobel Laureate) and Prime Minister John Curtin. Florey was the Academic Advisor for medical research at ANU from 1947 to 1957 on the invitation of the Interim Council of the University. He established professorial appointments for four departments: Biochemistry in 1948 headed by Professor Hugh Ennor, Medical Chemistry in 1949 headed by Professor Adrian Albert, Microbiology in 1949 headed by Professor Frank Fenner and Physiology in 1951 headed by Professor John Eccles, followed by the Experimental Pathology Group in 1954 with Professor George Mackaness at its head. Nobel Prizes in Physiology or Medicine were awarded to Sir John Eccles in 1963, and Peter Doherty and Rolf Zinkernagel in 1996 for work carried out at the JCSMR.