Christopher Murphy

Biography

Professor Christopher (Chris) Murphy is an histologist and female reproductive biologist who heads the Faculty of Medicine’s School of Medical Sciences at the University of Sydney. As Sydney Medical School’s Bosch Professor of Histology and Embryology, Professor Murphy holds Australia’s first and only Chair in histology. Professor Murphy is internationally recognised for his research in female reproductive biology, specifically the study of uterine receptivity during pregnancy. “I am particularly interested in the structural cell biology of the epithelial cells that line the uterus, i.e. how these cells are changed by ovarian hormones to allow pregnancy to begin”, he says. He discovered the phenomenon of plasma membrane transformation, which involves a series of structural and molecular changes in the plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells that are essential to the development of the receptivity of the uterus (womb) for attachment of the fertilized egg and for the commencement of pregnancy. The concept has been extended to encompass all placental animals with live birth. Professor Murphy’s research has direct implications for women attempting to become pregnant. He conducts clinical work with fertility and IVF clinics involving analysis of endometrial biopsies for the requisite changes needed for implantation of the fertilized egg and in working toward developing a hormonal mix that may promote plasma membrane transformation of uterine epithelial cells where this does not naturally occur. Professor Murphy is Honorary Consultant in Physiology at the Royal North Shore Hospital, Sydney, Research Associate at the Centre for Early Human Development, Monash University, Melbourne, and Honorary Professor, University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa.

Research Interest

Professor Murphy leads a team of scientists involved in two distinct arms of research including: (a) studies on the structure of the plasma membrane of uterine epithelial cells and (b) research on the evolution of viviparity.