Dr John Burnett is a Consultant Chemical Pathologist in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at PathWest Laboratory Medicine Royal Perth Hospital & Fiona Stanley Hospital Network and Clinical Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Western Australia. He received his undergraduate medical education at the University of Otago in New Zealand and FRCPA in the discipline of Chemical Pathology.

Dr Burnett was a Fellow in Medical Biochemistry in the Faculty of Medicine at Western University and recipient of a Heart & Stroke Foundation of Canada Research Fellowship at the Robarts Research Institute. He completed a PhD in Biochemistry at Western University for a thesis titled "Regulation of apolipoprotein B containing lipoprotein secretion by cholesterol and/or cholesteryl esters in vivo: tracer kinetic studies in miniature pigs", and was subsequently awarded the higher degree of MD from the University of Otago for a thesis titled "Regulation of apolipoprotein B metabolism: tracer kinetics, models and metabolic studies".

His research has contributed to understanding of the structure, metabolism, and function of the plasma lipoproteins and their link to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease. Dr Burnett has received project funding from the Raine Medical Research Foundation, National Heart Foundation, National Health & Medical Research Foundation, Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation, the Commonwealth Government and has published over 180 peer reviewed articles/reviews and 15 book chapters.

He was the AACB Roman Travelling Lecturer in 2007, Editor-in-Chief of Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences from 2008-2012. recipient of a Senior Medical Research Award from the Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation in 2012, Visiting Scholar to the Department of Chemical Pathology of the University of Cape Town in 2014, External Examiner for the MD in Chemical Pathology for the Postgraduate Institute of Medicine of the University of Colombo in 2019 and 2021, External Examiner in Chemical Pathology for the Hong Kong College of Pathologists in 2020, and recipient of a JACC Elite Reviewer Award in 2022.

Dr Burnett is the RCPA Chief Examiner in Chemical Pathology, a member of the Board of Education & Assessment, Chemical Pathology Advisory Committee, Community Advisory Committee, and Senior Associate Editor Clinical Pathology of Pathology.