Stephen Cordner graduated in Medicine from The University of Melbourne in 1977. After his internship at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and two years in the Department of Pathology at Geelong Hospital he took up an appointment in 1981 as Lecturer, and later Senior Lecturer, in Forensic Medicine at Guy's Hospital in London. He stayed there until 1987 working as a Home Office Pathologist. During this period he became a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia and also of the Royal College of Pathologists of Great Britain.
Stephen was appointed Foundation Professor of Forensic Medicine at Monash University and Foundation Director of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine in 1987. He has worked as a Consultant to the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), exploring the potential for humanitarian contributions from forensic pathology. This has involved missions to Iraq, the former Yugoslavia, Myanmar, The Philippines, Liberia, Nepal, Palestine and Afghanistan, not only for ICRC but also WHO and UNODC. In 2005, Professor Cordner became a Member (AM) of the Order of Australia for service to forensic medicine, particularly as a contributor to the development of forensic pathology in Australia and internationally.
AM, PSM