Saints Spotlight: Dr Chris McKnight
Dr Chris McKnight is a Senior Research Fellow in the School of Biology. In this month’s Saints Spotlight, he discusses his research into the evolutionary adaptations of seal physiology. Following a recent publication in Science, Chris explores what we can learn from seals’ ability to sense their blood oxygen levels and what this can teach us in relation to human health issues.
How did your St Andrews story start?
I first came to the University of St Andrews in 2010 to complete a Masters degree. While on a fieldtrip during my undergraduate programme in Belfast, I met researchers from the Sea Mammal Research Unit (SMRU) at St Andrews. They were visiting Ireland to deploy tags on seals. One of the researchers, Dr Gordon Hastie, who is now a colleague in the School of Biology, told me about the MRes in Marine Mammal Science.
Following this conversation, I made coming to study at St Andrews my top priority. I arrived in 2010 and have never left.
What are your current priorities at the University?
My current priority is to secure funding or a position that will enable me to stay at St Andrews permanently and continue a long-term research project I have started over the last couple of years.
What is the focus of your research at St Andrews?
My research focuses on the evolutionary adaptations of seal physiology. I’m fascinated by what these adaptations allow seals to overcome or show resistance to, which are often key problems that can be detrimental or deadly to humans.
I am currently focused on a genetic mutation that leads to a deadly infant death syndrome in humans, known as congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS). Yet, for seals, we believe this same mutation is essential to their ability to dive. Rather than being a negative mutation, we believe that evolution has positively selected this trait to advance seals’ diving skills.
We are exploring the benefits that this genetic mutation provides for seals, and how we might be able to utilise its function to understand and discover cures for CCHS. We are working in collaboration on this project with colleagues at Duke University, North Carolina and Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago. Together, we are working to answer the question ‘Can learning more about seals help save babies’ lives?’.
Tell us about your proudest achievement.
My proudest achievement was having a research article published in Science in 2025. The project was run by our small group of early-career researchers in the SMRU, exploring whether seals have evolved fundamentally different abilities to sense the dissolved gases in their bloodstream. I had been asking this question for seven years before we secured funding to finally explore the answer.
I’m so proud of this, as it was a wonderful, challenging and highly demanding project with a great combined effort from SMRU’s amazing technical staff, students and researchers. This was both my proudest achievement and my happiest time at St Andrews.
Where is your favourite spot in St Andrews?
I’d have to say Spinkie Den for a dog walk with my ridgeback, Banquo.