Dr John Burnett is a Clinician-Scientist and Consultant Chemical Pathologist in the Department of Clinical Biochemistry at PathWest Laboratory Medicine WA - South-East Division, Royal Perth Hospital & Fiona Stanley Hospital (since 1999; Head of Department 2006-2012) and Clinical Professor in the School of Medicine at the University of Western Australia (since 2007). He received his undergraduate medical education at the University of Otago and FRCPA in the discipline of Chemical Pathology. He has trained many chemical pathologists, medical students, and graduate students.

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" which elucidated the mechanism of action of cholesterol-lowering drugs, including statins (atorvastatin, simvastatin) and inhibitors of acyl coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase (avasimibe, DuP128), and was subsequently awarded the higher doctorate of MD from the University of Otago for a collection of works on the cohesive theme "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. He is a leading expert on rare monogenic disorders affecting lipoprotein metabolism. Dr Burnett has received project funding from the Raine Medical Research Foundation, National Heart Foundation, National Health & Medical Research Council, Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation, the Commonwealth Government, and has published >200 peer reviewed articles/reviews, >20 book chapters, and co-edited 4 editions of the RCPA Manual of the Use and Interpretation of Laboratory Tests.

He was the 2007 AACB Roman Travelling Lecturer, Editor-in-Chief of Critical Reviews in Clinical Laboratory Sciences (2008-2012), recipient of a Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation Senior Medical Research Award in 2012, Practitioner Fellowship from the Royal Perth Hospital Medical Research Foundation (2012-2015), 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, 2021 and 2024, External Examiner in Chemical Pathology for the Hong Kong College of Pathologists in 2020, recipient of an AACB Outstanding Service Medallion in 2021, JACC Elite Reviewer Award in 2022, and Simon Dack Award for Outstanding Scholarship from the American College of Cardiology in 2023.

Dr Burnett has served the RCPA as State Councillor, Member of Council, Board of Directors, Board of Education & Assessment, Community Advisory Committee, Foundation Chair of the Faculty of Science, Chair of the Chemical Pathology Advisory Committee, Examiner in Chemical Pathology (including the Faculty of Science), and Chief Examiner in Chemical Pathology. He is a long-standing Member of the RCPA WA State Committee, Chair of the RCPA Manual Steering Committee, and Editor-in-Chief of the international journal Pathology.