Forty years at the pitface in the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.

Donald Metcalf's contributions to the understanding of haemopoietic growth factors have led to the use of G-CSF and GM-CSF as valuable new therapies in medical oncology. We asked Professor Metcalf to reflect on his 40 years in medical research (most of it spent at the laboratory bench) and to give us his thoughts on the evolution of the Australian research effort.