Dr Christopher McCormick BSc, DPhil, PGCertED
Associate Professor of Molecular Virology, Principle Investigator
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Dr Christopher McCormick is a Associate Professor of Molecular Virology within Medicine at the University of Southampton.Dr McCormick joined the University of Southampton in May 2005, where he has continued his work investigating mechanisms of positive strand RNA virus replication.
The study of complex biological mechanisms at the molecular level require facile genetic experimental systems – viruses are no exception
Originally trained as a parasitologist in the University of Oxford, he move to the University of Leeds in 1996, taking up a three year post-doctoral position to study malaria sporozoite invasion of the liver, before becoming interested in another hepatotropic infectious agent, hepatitis C virus. Six years later, after involvement in a number of studies that included being the first to show that a DNA-based delivery system could be used to introduce replication-competent viral transcripts into cells, he brought his experience to Southampton. Working with Prof Ian Clarke and other colleagues he showed that the same DNA-based delivery system could be used to recover infectious mouse norovirus; a discovery that for the first time allowed researchers to delve into the genetics of norovirus, a group of viruses that include Norwalk or ‘Winter Vomiting” Virus. More recently, he has developed a novel hepatitis C virus genetics system as a proof-of-principle that traditional hurdles to undertaking genetic complementation studies in positive strand RNA viruses can be overcome.
Dr McCormick is a member of the Society for General Microbiology and American Society for Microbiology. He is an editorial board member for Journal of General Virology and for 4 years co-ordinated the Recent Independent Virology Researcher’s UK Meeting.
Degree Qualifications
Applied BSc, Biology, University of Bath (1992)
DPhil , Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford (1996)
PGCertEd, University of Southampton (2007)
Appointments held
Post-doctoral researcher, Institute of Molecular Medicine, University of Oxford (Jan 1996 – June 2006)
Post-doctoral researcher, University of Leeds (June 1996-June 2005)
Lecturer, University of Southampton (June 2005-present)