Born in Adelaide and educated at the University of Melbourne, John Funder was president of the Australian Society for Medical Research (1979)  and the Endocrine Society of Australia (1984), and (1996–2000) chairman of the International Society for Endocrinology . In 1990 he resigned as a senior research fellow of the National Health and Medical Research Council to become director of the Baker Medical Research Institute (1990–2001).
John Funder's career involved leadership roles in medical research organizations, including the Australian Society for Medical Research, the Endocrine Society of Australia, and the International Society for Endocrinology. He also transitioned from a senior research fellow position at the National Health and Medical Research Council to become director of the Baker Medical Research Institute.