With a focus on enhancing the quality and sustainability of meat production, Pethick's work has had a profound impact on the agricultural industry, both in Australia and globally.

Becoming a professor in Murdoch’s the School of Veterinary and Life Sciences in the 1980s, his research has been pivotal in understanding the biochemical and physiological factors that influence meat quality. One of his notable achievements is the development of the Meat Standards Australia (MSA) grading system. This system, based on Pethick's extensive research on muscle biology and consumer preferences, revolutionized the Australian beef and lamb industries by providing a reliable method to predict meat eating quality.

Among his 264 papers published in international scientific journals are a number of outstanding publications widely recognised as identifying and developing new basic concepts that have had profound implications. 

Some highlights include studies on the dietary manipulation of intestine bacteria in pigs and understanding the regulation of glycogen metabolism and the development of marbling in lamb and beef. 

A love of the land has been part of Professor Pethick’s life from the very beginning, having grown up on a mixed farming property in the Adelaide Hills. He was the first person in his town to ever go to university.  After completing a degree in Agricultural Science at Adelaide University, he was invited to do PhD studies at Cambridge University. 

His PhD studies at Cambridge involved pure scientific research to discover how the tissues of sheep and cattle gain their nutrients and energy via volatile fatty acids, glucose and long chain fatty acids. The way in which these fuels were used to form sugars and fat in the body was revealed by Professor Pethick’s early work and helped to explain how sheep and cattle adapt to the harsh Australian climate.

Image caption: Professor David Pethick receiving the Vice Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Research in 2015 from former Murdoch Vice Chancellor Professor Andrew Taggart.

Beyond his research, Pethick is recognised for his commitment to education and mentorship. He has supervised countless postgraduate students, many of whom have gone on to successful careers in academia, industry, and government. His teaching philosophy emphasizes the integration of research and practical application, preparing students to tackle real-world challenges in agricultural science. Beef and lamb farmers know him as the Layman’s professor for his ability to communicate complex science to industry steak holders.

Accolades Professor Pethick has received include the International Meat Secretariat Millennium Prize for Meat Science and Technology, the ‘Howard W Yelland Award’ awarded by the Beef Improvement Association in recognition of outstanding contribution to the Beef Industry and the Médaille de l'Académie de la Viande for meritorious contributions to education, research and development of the meat industry.  

Through his academic career, Professor Pethick has made a remarkable contribution to the generation and implementation of new knowledge that has changed the livestock industry across the globe.