John Parrington

John Parrington is a University of Oxford Associate Professor of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology and a Tutorial Fellow in Medicine. He has authored three previous books and over 110 peer-reviewed articles. His research investigates how chemical signals regulate critical bodily processes, focusing on molecular mechanisms in reproduction, early embryogenesis, and the role of calcium signals in physiological events. He also employs genomic and proteomic approaches to understand cell signalling.

Dr. Parrington has extensive experience in science communication. He has written popular science articles for The Guardian, New Scientist, Chemistry World, The Biologist, and Aeon. He was the British Science Association Media Fellow at The Times in 2012. Parrington has also written science reports for the Wellcome Trust, the British Council, and the Royal Society.

His previous books include The Deeper Genome (2015), Redesigning Life (2016), and Mind Shift (2021), all published by Oxford University Press.

In his latest book, Consciousness (2024), Dr. Parrington explores the material basis of human thoughts and consciousness. He examines the origins of imaginative, creative, and spiritual thoughts and questions whether these can be purely the result of nerve impulses in the brain. He also investigates whether the human mind is fundamentally different from that of other species or if our perceived uniqueness is superficial.

Drawing on the latest neuroscience research, Dr. Parrington proposes a radical new theory of human consciousness. He argues that a significant leap in consciousness occurred during human evolution, driven by the development of language and tool use, which transformed our brains. He rejects outdated views of the brain as a static circuit diagram, presenting a dynamic interaction of oscillating brain waves as the basis for creating meaning in our minds.

Dr John Parrington lives in Oxford.

Photo credit: X @JohnParrington