
Prof. Chris Overall
Christopher Overall is a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Protease Proteomics and an Honorary Professor Albert-Ludwigs Universität Freiburg, Germany. He was inducted as a fellow into the Royal Society of Canada in 2018 and is Chair of the HUPO C-HPP. He is best known for his development of proteomic methodology for discovering protein N and C-termini and protease substrates in vivo, thereby establishing the field of terminomics, also known as degradomics. By generating clinically relevant insights into how proteases dampen disease-fighting defence systems involved in inflammation and immunodeficiency, degradomics has revealed a new layer of complexity in the hierarchy of cell and immune signalling regulation, revolutionizing our understanding of protease function and drug targeting. These insights led to the development of a new class of molecular correctors to treat MALT-1 protease deficiency and NF-kB activation in immunodeficiency disease. In the pandemic, Chris pivoted his laboratory to the investigation of SARS-CoV-2 proteases, revealing their drastic impact on cleaving hundreds of host cell proteins in critical pathways that promote the cellular takeover by the virus. His advances in proteomics have been recognized by the CNPN Tony Pawson Award (2014) and the 2018 HUPO Discovery Award. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Proteome Research.