BBSRC Council member
Dr Neil Parry is a member of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Council.
Neil leads the Unilever R&D programme in biotechnology and biosourcing to drive
product differentiation through new material invention in industrial biotechnology
and green chemistry.
Neil obtained a first-class degree in biology at University of Portsmouth in 1993, and completed his PhD in industrial biotechnology in 1996.
In his early roles at Unilever, he worked on enzymes and protein technology for both the chemical businesses and the antibody company Unipath. During this time, he jointly established a spin-out company with Unilever Ventures for applications of biomolecules in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industry.
In 2012, he took on the R&D programme director role, leading disruptive sustainability technologies. This had a strong influence on the discovery of new biotechnologies and green chemistries for opportunities in Unilever’s portfolio.
In his 26 years at Unilever, he has successfully commercialised a range of new ingredients with suppliers in their product portfolio, been awarded Unilever scientist of the year in 2016 and 2017, and is an inventor on more than 50 patents.
Neil holds advisory posts on external boards in industrial biotechnology, including the EU, Industrial Biotechnology Leadership Forum and Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council.
In 2023 he became a non-executive director and chair for the newly established National Biofilms Innovation Centre in the UK, which links the community of researchers across academia, small and medium-sized enterprises and corporate bodies.
Period of appointment: 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2027.
Last updated: 2 April 2024