Professor Sir John Burn grew up in the North East and attended Newcastle Medical School. After postgraduate training in medicine and paediatrics he moved to work for the Medical Research Council at the Hospital for Sick Children, Great Ormond Street, London. He returned in 1984 as the region's first consultant clinical geneticist. He was Clinical Director of the Northern Genetics Service from 1989 to 2004. In 1991, he became Professor of Clinical Genetics and was head of Newcastle University Genetics Department for 6 years. In 2001 the new Institute of Human Genetics was opened as part of the Centre for Life. John was appointed Medical Director and subsequently became Head of the Institute in 2005. John is now the lead clinician for NHS North East and the Genetics Lead for the National Institute of Health Research (NIHR).

His many national and international roles include General Secretary of the UK Clinical Genetics Society 1989-1996, member of the UK Human Genetics Commission 2000-2005 and President of the European Society of Human Genetics 2007.