Professor Christopher Reid
BPharm, BSci (Hons), PhD

Professor Chris Reid is Research lead of the Epilepsy Mission, member of Faculty and Head of the Neurophysiology of Excitable Networks Laboratory at The Florey. He is a translational neuroscientist and leads a multidisciplinary team that investigates the molecular and cellular causes of epilepsy.

His team includes 3 research fellows, 3 PhD students and a Research Assistant. Key work includes developing and characterising new genetic rodent models of epilepsy and identifying new molecular targets for treating this devastating disease. This includes roles of ‘pacemaker’ hyperpolarisation-activated cyclic nucleotide–gated (HCN) channels in seizure susceptibility.

Professor Reid has strong engagement with industry and clinical partners providing a translational path. This includes past collaborations with the BioCurate and CSL. He also contributes significantly to the neuroscience community acting as Director of the Australian Course in Advanced Neuroscience (from 2020) and sitting on International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) and American Epilepsy Society (AES) Genetic Task Forces.

His vision is to continue to drive pre-clinical programs that will create and validate therapeutic strategies targeted at ion channels in epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

Resources

• New targets for epilepsy treatment podcast – Professor Reid discusses developing new drugs for epilepsy, focusing on both genetics and small molecules, to treat more people with epilepsy
• Watch him working to develop new therapeutics for epilepsy

Key collaborators:

• Professor Rikke S Møller- University of Southern Denmark
• Professor Samuel Berkovic – Epilepsy Research Centre
• Professor Ingrid Scheffer – Epilepsy Research Centre
• Professor Michael Hildebrand – The University of Melbourne
• Professor Chris Semsarian – Centenary Institute
• Dr Richard Bagnall – Centenary Institute
• Professor Steve Petrou – The Florey
• Professor Mary Collins – The University of Sydney
• Associate Professor Phillip Ahring – The University of Sydney
• Professor Clive May – The Florey Institute
• Associate Professor Yugeesh Lankadeva – The Florey
• Dr Lindsea Booth – The Florey Institute
• Professor Paul Lockhart – Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
• Dr Katherine Howell – Murdoch Children’s Research Institute
• Associate Professor Laura Jacobson – The Florey
• Professor Bang Bui – The University of Melbourne
• Dr Marlene Hao – The University of Melbourne
• Professor Andrew Lawrence – The Florey