Professor Christopher Parish

Professor Parish received his PhD degree in immunology at The Walter & Eliza Hall Institute, Melbourne. He has spent most of his scientific career in Canberra at the John Curtin School of Medical Research, ANU and until recently was the Director of the School.

He is an immunologist and cancer biologist with a research career spanning 50 years and has published more than 350 scientific papers. Professor Parish is recognised as a world leader in studies of how the immune system is regulated and the role of complex carbohydrates in immune cell and cancer cell behaviour. His laboratory developed a fluorescent dye, called CFSE, that can be used to monitor immune responses and has revolutionised many immunological studies.

As a result of his research he has developed several carbohydrate-based drugs, such as PI-88 (Muparfostat), that inhibit inflammation, cancer spread and new blood vessel growth, and has developed immunotherapeutic cancer vaccines. His research findings underpin six Australian biotechnology companies, three of which were founded in Canberra by him and his scientific colleagues (Biotron, Lipotek and Beta Therapeutics).

Professor Parish has received numerous awards in recognition of his scientific achievements. For example, in 2005 he was awarded the Clive and Vera Ramaciotti Medal for Excellence in Biomedical Research, he has been elected a Fellow of three learned science academies (ATSE, AAHMS and NAI) and received the 2014 Canberra Citizen of the Year Award.