Professor Macdonald (Mac) Christie was awarded his PhD in Pharmacology at the University of Sydney in 1983. After the award of prestigious national and international research fellowships, he served as a permanent research leader and lecturer in Pharmacology at the University of Sydney from 1990. He has held the position of Professor of Pharmacology since 2001. He has been the continuous recipient of major research funding and research fellowship awards from Australian government agencies such as the National Health and Medical Research Council since 1991. He has published well over 230 peer-reviewed research publications, many in the world’s most prestigious research journals.

His research on drugs and the brain, particularly opioid drugs, has been recognised by an award for being one of the world’s most highly cited scientists. He has served on editorial boards of major international scientific journals and Boards of Directors of several research institutes. Throughout his career he has acted as a consultant and invited lecturer concerning the actions of drugs and alcohol on the brain and behaviour to clients including; governments, senior medical professional bodies, industry and the legal profession including various proceedings including criminal, compensation, family law and unfair dismissal matters relating to misuse of drugs and alcohol. This has included regular provision of expert evidence for the Crown, Legal Aid in NSW and other states, the Public Defender, and various private law firms concerning drugs and alcohol, and in intellectual property proceedings, as well as various industrial commission proceedings and direct advice to companies concerning drug and alcohol testing policies in the workplace and unfair dismissal actions.