Professor Christopher Barratt
Professor (Teaching and Research)
Systems Medicine, School of Medicine
Contact
Biography
Professor Barratt is Head of the Division of Post Graduate Medicine at the Medical School, Head of the Reproductive Medicine Group at the University of Dundee as well as a clinical scientist (Hon) with NHS Tayside. He graduated with an Honours degree in Zoology and then completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Education (University of Wales, Swansea). His PhD, also in Zoology, was under the supervision of Jack Cohen at the University of Birmingham.
His formative post-doctoral studies and ART experience was gained at the University of Sheffield [with Ian Cooke] where they specialized in natural cycle IVF. From 1997-2005 he was the Scientific Director of the ART Centre at the Birmingham Women’s Hospital.
Professor Barratt has been awarded a number of honours for outstanding contributions to the discipline e.g. Young Andrologist of the Year, the Professor Sir Robert Edwards keynote lecture at ESHRE. He was awarded a DSc from University of Birmingham and has a h index of 54 (Scopus 2021). Professor Barratt is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
He is a regularly invited speaker at national and international scientific conferences/workshops. He was a member of the WHO Male Fertility Semen Analysis Taskforce (for both the 4th and 5th editions) and director of the WHO (2012-2017) Male Fertility Expert Working Group which devised a new system for the diagnosis and treatment of the infertile male. He was a member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority for 6 years until 2009.
Professor Barratt has been appointed to editorial board of WHO for development of new Semen Analysis manual (6th edition, publication date late 2021). He recently published the global WHO guidelines for semen reference ranges.
He has been on the Editorial Board of Human Reproduction, Human Fertility, Biology of Reproduction, Human Reproduction Update, Journal of Andrology and was Editor-in-Chief of Molecular Human Reproduction from 2013-2018. Currently he is a member of the Editorial board of Physiological Reviews.
Professor Barratt is coordinating the Global Initiative on Male Reproductive Health.
His life's ambition is to see - live - Wales comprehensively beat the All Blacks.
Research
We are primarily focused on understanding the function of the human spermatozoa and identifying the key factors in the process of sperm egg interaction.
Our research uses cutting edge technology combined with selected samples from patients with well-defined pathology. As such the research has a very strong translational focus.
Our primary collaborators in Dundee are the IVF clinic at NHS Tayside and Abertay University's Dr Sean Brown. Currently our focus is the development of new contraceptive drugs for the male. This project is in collaboration with Professor Ian Gilbert and Professor Kevin Read (Drug Discovery Unit, SLS), and Professor Jason Swedlow (National Phenotypic Screening Centre, SLS)
We are funded by NHS Tayside, Chief Scientists Office (Scotland), Astra Zeneca and Genus ABS global (The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation fund our male contraceptive drug discovery program). Read article on eLife
We regularly contribute to public debates on reproductive issues: e.g. impact of male age
Patents
- Inventor: Barratt C (CMDN) & Wyatt PG (CLS) ‘Stimulation of human sperm motility’. International application number: PCT/GB2012/052514. Publication number WO/2013/054111. Publication date 18th April 2013.
- Inventor: Genosis & Barratt C ‘Method and detection kit for male infertility’ 1999. WO/99066331
Teaching
Professor Barratt has supervised 35 MSc, PhD, MD students almost all of whom work in in the field of reproductive medicine.
His teaching consists of:
Supervisor: 12 MSc/PhD students
Leader: SSC in Stem Cells and Assisted Conception
Leader: Human Reproduction, Assisted Conception and Embryonic Stem Cells BMSc
Leader: Human Clinical Embryology and Assisted Conception MSc
Stories
Press release
A University of Dundee expert in reproductive medicine will play an important role in shaping his field after being appointed to the Board of Reviewing Editors for the journal Science.
Press release
University of Dundee research that aims to develop a new male contraceptive has been boosted by major new funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Press release
University of Dundee academics leading in fields as diverse as cleft palate research, contemporary art, infectious diseases and reproductive medicine have been elected Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE).
Research interests
Professor Barratt is an expert in reproductive medicine, assisted conception, male infertility and contraception.
Media availability
I am available for media commentary on my research.
Contact Corporate Communications for media enquiries.
Areas of Expertise
- Fertility