Damien Paris

Dr. Damien Paris is Head of the Gamete and Embryology (GAME) Laboratory at James Cook University. He is a cross-disciplinary reproductive/molecular biologist passionate about developing assisted reproductive technologies for animal breeding and conservation, as well as understanding the impact of adverse environmental conditions on fertility. He and his team produced the first macropods by artificial insemination, developed an antioxidant diet to protect pig sperm from heat-induced DNA damage, and developed a sperm freezing technique suitable for sperm banking and artificial insemination in the endangered African wild dog. Moreover, he has worked with a diversity of other domestic and wild species including primates, marsupials, horses, fish, frogs and crayfish. His group uses sperm cryopreservation, artificial insemination, in vitro fertilization, hormones and behaviour coupled with gamete & molecular analysis tools to investigate the underlying mechanisms that affect gamete (sperm & egg) quality & embryo survival in both aquatic & terrestrial animals. Moreover, his group actively develops mitigation strategies that will ultimately improve breeding and conservation management of these species.

Dr. Paris has a BSc First-Class Honours in plant genetics/molecular biology (Monash University, Australia), a PhD in mammalian reproduction (University of Melbourne, Australia), and was a Marie Curie Incoming International Fellow (University of Glasgow, UK) and Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Universiteit Utrecht, Netherlands) before joining JCU in 2011. He has worked at several other prominent Australian and international research institutions throughout his career including the Monash Institute for Medical Research, Monash University, Murdoch Royal Childrens Institute, Baker Medical Research Institute and CSIRO (Australia); Wildlife Breeding Resource Centre (South Africa); and Max Planck Institute (based in Ivory Coast).

Current projects in the GAME Lab include:

• Novel appeasing pheromones to minimise stress & aggression & bolster reproductive & immune function in African wild dogs – P. Riddell.
• Development of advanced reproductive techniques to characterize (in)fertility & accelerate selective breeding in barramundi (Lates calcarifer) – A. Marc
• Saving a cryptic tropical species: integrating spatial and reproductive sciences to conserve the endangered pygmy hippopotamus (Choeropsis liberiensis) – E. Erazo-Mera.
• Development of redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) sperm technologies for commercial crayling production – J. Aquino.
• Development of redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) egg and embryo technologies for commercial crayling production – N. Nur un.
• A conservation management toolkit: Developing assisted breeding and behavioural management tools for the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) – F. Van den Berghe.
• Revisiting summer infertility in the boar: impact of heat stress on the quality and DNA integrity of spermatozoa, and its mitigation by antioxidant therapy – S. Peña.
• Impact of Chytridiomycosis on sperm quality in the endangered Corroboree frog (Pseudophryne corroboree) – P. Frías-Álvarez.
• Equine embryos and embryonic stem cells: defining reliable markers of pluripotency – D. Paris.

Available projects in 2021:

• Development of redclaw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) intensive breeding and husbandry technologies for commercial crayling production.