Rate My Professor Christopher Parris

Professor Christopher N. Parris serves as Head of the School of Life Sciences within the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Anglia Ruskin University's Cambridge campus, a position he assumed in April 2017. Previously, he headed the Biosciences Division at Brunel University, West London, for three years. Parris obtained his BSc in Biology from the University of Nottingham in 1983 and his PhD in the cell biology of cancer from University College London in 1989. As a biomedical scientist, his research investigates human DNA repair mechanisms and inherited defects leading to hypersensitivity to DNA-damaging agents and heightened cancer risk. His key interests span cancer research, human DNA repair systems, development of diagnostic tests predicting patient responses to anticancer therapies, and experimental cancer treatments. He contributes to the Biomedical Research Group at Anglia Ruskin University.

Parris teaches courses in cell and molecular biology, biology, genetics, and cancer treatment. He has supervised ten PhD students as first supervisor and four postdoctoral research fellows. Notable grants under his principal investigatorship include determining the mechanism of action of a therapeutic antibody targeting annexin pathways (Oncobiopharm Ltd, £123,000, 2018-19), the role of the tumour suppressor gene BAP1 in uveal melanoma (The Bart’s Charity, £180,000, 2016-18), construction of a library of cells defective in DNA double strand break repair (The Bart’s Charity, £105,000, 2015-16), and development of DNA repair biomarkers for predicting chemotherapy and radiotherapy responses (The Bart’s Charity, £277,000, 2013-17). Selected publications are 'The PARP-1 inhibitor Olaparib suppresses BRCA1 protein levels, increases apoptosis and causes radiation hypersensitivity in BRCA1+/- lymphoblastoid cells' (Journal of Cancer, 2017), 'Lentivirus-mediated frataxin gene delivery reverses genome instability in Friedreich ataxia patient and mouse model fibroblasts' (Gene Therapy, 2016), and 'Enhanced γ-H2AX DNA damage foci detection using multimagnification and extended depth of field in imaging flow cytometry' (Cytometry Part A, 2015). A member of the Association for Radiation Research (UK), Parris has featured in a BBC Breakfast television interview on novel genes involved in human melanoma skin cancer.