Profile: Professor Chris Barratt

Professor Chris Barratt, Chair of Reproductive Health within the School of Medicine, has little difficulty drumming up interest in his area of expertise. Fertility, he acknowledges, is a very hot topic.

"Some subjects are naturally interesting to people and reproductive health is one of them," he believes. "Most people have a child, want a child or have avoided having a child so it is something that is talked about."

As an internationally recognised expert on male infertility and a member of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority he is no stranger to speaking to the media and to the public. It is, he reflects, a vital part of his job.

"Some scientists don't talk about their work but I think it is really important," he argues. "I work as part of the HFEA and when we published our document on hybrid embryos there was absolute mayhem in the press so we had to be very proactive and work very hard to explain what we were doing and why. What was interesting and encouraging was there was an evolution in opinion over a period of months.

"If you don't say anything those opposed to what you are doing have a free run to push their point of view or misinform and if you lose the support of the general public then you have a big problem."

The dilemmas and opportunities of embryo research provide the subject matter for a Saturday Evening lecture by Professor Barratt on February 16. It is, he acknowledges, a controversial topic which can stir up strong views and often emotive arguments.

"This field throws up huge ethical issues such as should we screen embryos. In the UK it is legal to do research on human embryos. Some people are morally opposed to that but the law says you can do it. However you can't then just dismiss that group of people and say they don't matter. They hold a very strong belief. We have to have productive dialogue."

Professor Barratt has worked in assisted reproductive medicine since 1985 with a particular interest in male infertility. He has worked with the World Health Organisation, is Associate Editor of Human Reproduction Update and is responsible for developing the world's first over-the-counter fertility test kit - Fertell.

"I wanted to create a test for men to test their own sperm," he explains. "Before Fertell men had to go to hospital to be tested and wait for a diagnosis and the whole process was quite lengthy and there was variability in the testing. I thought if a man could do this at home it would be so much better.

"It took seven to eight years to get the test produced and I sold the idea for £1 because that was the only way I could get it finished. But I really wanted to do it and you do get focussed on the end point.

"Patient trials have been very positive. I think the fact that it can be done in private makes a big difference. There is unfortunately a very strong link in the minds' of men between virility and fertility and that is something we have to address."

Professor Barratt's research is focussed on understanding the physiological changes that take place in the sperm cell prior to interaction with an egg, in particular the role of calcium and what is important in switching the sperm on and off.

"I'm also looking at the use of drugs to enhance sperm function as there is no effective treatment for men at the moment. If we could produce a pill that men could take to sort the problem it would be a huge breakthrough.

"I left behind a research team of 17 people and IVF clinic at the University of Birmingham to come to Dundee and I'm really excited at the potential here," he says. "There are very strong links with the NHS and the presence of such a strong Life Sciences Division is very exciting. I've already had discussions there and I'm very keen to do collaborative work."

The aim of all this work and research is of course to help people achieve their dream of having a healthy baby but Professor Barratt is keen to stress that IVF and other forms of fertility treatment offer no guarantees.

"Some people think IVF can solve their problems but there's only a 25% success rate which means 75% fail. People are leaving it later to have children but biologically the best time is the early 20s.

"If women wait until their mid or late thirties it becomes harder to get pregnant and there's less time to deal with any problems that might arise. The chance of a live birth from IVF at 40 years old is less than 5%.

"A lot has been written about women delaying motherhood but the message still isn't getting through. There is never really a right time to have a child. You are never rich enough, you'll never be in the perfect job, you'll never have the ideal home and if you wait for that golden moment where everything is just right you may find you have waited too long. My advice is if you want a child you should just go for it. Don't put it off."