Chris Murgatroyd

Professor Chris Murgatroyd is a Professor of Epigenetics at Manchester Metropolitan University, with an international reputation in molecular psychiatry and neuroendocrinology. His research focuses on gene-environment interactions in early-life aging, epigenetic mechanisms in neuroendocrine systems, and neurodegenerative disease pathways. With over £6.7m in grant funding as PI/Co-I, he maintains active national/international collaborations and has supervised 14 PhD and 9 MRes students.

• Doctorate (Dr. rerum naturalium, magna cum laude) from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität Munich (2000-2005)
• MSc in Medical Genetics from University of Newcastle (1997-1998)
• BSc in Genetics from Swansea University (1994-1997)

His research spans epigenetic programming of neuroendocrine systems, stress biology, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Key publications include studies on DNA methylation in maternal stress, synaptic plasticity mechanisms, and cis-regulatory element roles in multicellularity.

As an academic leader, he serves as Research Lead for Aging and Lifelong Health at the Centre for Bioscience, and has acted as external examiner for multiple universities. He pioneered research-informed teaching innovations, including publishing a complete undergraduate thesis in a peer-reviewed journal and creating instructional videos adopted department-wide.

Public engagement highlights include maintaining the website www.powerofthegene.com, authoring two public-facing genetics books, and delivering talks to schools and public forums like Café Scientific. His work has been featured in BBC and international media.