Sir Frank Macfarlane Burnet, OM, AK, KBE, FRS, often known as Macfarlane or Mac Burnet, was an Australian virologist who made major contributions to immunology.
Burnet received his M.D. degree from the University of Melbourne in 1924, and his Ph.D. from the University of London in 1928. He went on to conduct pioneering research on bacteriophages and viruses at the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne, and served as director of the Institute from 1944 to 1965. His virology research resulted in significant discoveries concerning the nature and replication of viruses and their interaction with the immune system.
He won the 1960 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for predicting acquired immune tolerance and was best known for developing the theory of clonal selection.