James Lawson was born in 1934 in Castlemaine, an old gold mining town in the State of Victoria, Australia. He graduated in medicine at the University of Melbourne and went on to have a career as a director of hospital and medical services in several Australian states. He has been professor of public health at the University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia since 1987. He is the author of ten books and over 200 scientific publications. He was awarded the Citation of the International Red Cross and the United Nations for meritorious service in caring for the sick of the Congo, Africa, during the troubled period 1960-1961. For many years he has been a consultant to the World Health Organisation. He became a member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2003 in recognition of his contributions to public health. He married Margaret Ralton in 1964 and together they have two sons and six daughters and 25 grandchildren.