Maurice Elphick

Professor Maurice Elphick chairs Animal Physiology and Neuroscience at Queen Mary University of London's School of Biological and Behavioural Sciences, with affiliations across multiple research centres including Evolutionary and Functional Genomics. His research reconstructs neuropeptide evolution using echinoderm models to bridge protostome-vertebrate knowledge gaps. Elphick's investigations reveal conserved neuroendocrine mechanisms underlying physiological processes like spawning control and tissue regeneration.

Current BBSRC-funded research (£576,040) identifies 'missing links' in neuropeptide evolution through comparative genomics and functional characterization across deuterostomes. Technical innovations include a £390,834 confocal microscopy facility enabling dynamic studies of complex biological systems. Recent publications demonstrate expanding focus on neuropeptide roles in echinoderm development, reproductive physiology, and regenerative processes.

Elphick's laboratory examines neural control of mutable collagenous tissue—a unique echinoderm adaptation enabling rapid body wall stiffening. This research holds biomedical relevance for understanding regenerative mechanisms and designing smart materials. His group also investigates peptide hormone regulation of spawning in starfish, supported by Leverhulme Trust funding.

Teaching encompasses neuroscience, comparative physiology, and practical biology. Professor Elphick mentors graduate researchers studying neuropeptide diversity and function in echinoderm model systems. His research group maintains international collaborations and contributes to genomic resources for evolutionary developmental biology.