Professor Alan Parker

Alan Parker is Professor of Translational Virology and Head of Solid Cancers, based at Cardiff University School of Medicine. 

Prior to relocating to Cardiff in 2013, Alan was a Royal Society of Edinburgh Personal Research Fellow at the University of Glasgow (2005-2013), and Postdoctoral Research Associate at King’s College London (2003-2005). His PhD (1998-2002) was awarded from the CRUK Institute for Cancer Studies at the University of Birmingham. 

Alan has a long-standing interest in the development of advanced therapy medicinal products (ATMPs), including gene and cell therapies, to treat diseases of unmet clinical need. To develop effective ATMPs better suited to clinical applications, Alan’s research investigates the adenovirus, integrating structural, biological and bioinformatics datasets to better define the interactions between virus and host cell which define pathogenic infections. Using this information, his team engineer viral platforms to deliver therapeutic DNA payloads to target cells in a tightly cell specific manner. The first lead technology generated in his lab is an anticancer agent which delivers payloads via the tumour specific marker αvβ6 integrin. This technology has been licensed to Accession Therapeutic Ltd, where Alan is Chief Scientific Officer, and has been successfully entered early phase clinical trials in 2025.  

Alan is an active STEM ambassador and advocate for public engagement, even developing an escape room dedicated to enhancing public understanding of how viruses can be used for therapeutic purposes. He is also committed to developing opportunities for the next generation of scientists and promoting opportunities for ECR development.