Born in Glasgow, John Mc Bain graduated in medicine from Glasgow University, and trained in obstetrics and gynaecology in Scotland. He came to Australia in 1976 to join the group of doctors researching IVF, as part of which he developed programmes that led to safe, successful super-ovulation.
John was President of the Fertility Society of Australia in 1991, and Chairman of Melbourne IVF from 1998 to 2005. He became Head of Reproductive Services – ART at The Women’s Hospital in 2002.
He campaigned in the 1990s for de facto couples in Victoria to be able to use IVF, at a time when that was against the law. He also brought landmark action against the Victorian State Government, allowing access to infertility treatment, including IVF, for single women and women in gay relationships and he successfully defended a challenge to that decision in the High Court by the Australian Catholic Bishops Council.
John’s efforts to encourage progress in infertility treatment continue: he is a member of The Low Cost IVF Foundation, which establishes affordable IVF in developing countries; in recognition of his continuing research and academic activities he is also a Principal Fellow in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Melbourne.
In 2013 he was made an Officer in the Order of Australia for his services to Reproductive Medicine and Academic Research. Now in his mid 60s, he has worked in the IVF field longer than any other specialist in the world.

With his experience and interests, John is very well placed to answer the question; ‘Surrogacy and IVF – where will they be in 2020?’