Professor Chris Palmer

Welcome to my webpage.

My name is Chris Palmer - "The Vibrant Dancer".

I am interested in using Dance and Nutrition to provide vibrancy to people's lives by shaping healthier, more creative lifestyles.

I began dancing over twenty years ago and have received training in ballet, contemporary dance, Flamenco and Spanish dance. I am a qualified dance instructor with the Sociedad de Baile Español.

I am a Professor of Health Science at Kyrenia University Medical School 

My research interests are in cancer, dance and phytochemicals.  




I have produced a book entitled "The Vibrant Dancers Book of Nutritional Guidance" and I have more recently published an informative guide to using dance and nutrition to prevent, augment the treatment of and survive cancer. Book details are given below.

My Academic & Research Journey  
I’ve dedicated over three decades to understanding cellular and molecular processes in health and disease: 
- Postdoctoral Researcher in Virology, University of Reading (1993–1996) 
- Senior Researcher, Department of Molecular Biology, University of Wisconsin–Madison (1996–2002) 
- Senior Wellcome Trust Researcher in Cancer Biology, Imperial College London (2003–2008) 
- Emeritus Professor of Health Science, London Metropolitan University (2008–2025) 
- Adult Education Lecturer, Imperial College London (2016–2024) — teaching “The Body in Sickness and    Health” 
- Professor of Microbiology and Immunology, Kyrenia University Medical School (2024–present) 
My work has explored ion‐channel regulation in cancer cells, systems biology of ion homeostasis, and the intersection of movement, nutrition and wellness.


Dance Leadership & Performance  
Dance has been my lifelong creative outlet and pursuit: 
- Instructor de Baile, Sociedad de Baile Español at Studio Kew and Arts Ed, Chiswick (2015–2025) 
- Choreographer and performer with ensembles including Pena de Londres, Kanopy Dance Company, Random transformation dance company, Dance Attic and at venues such as Sadler’s Wells, The Peacock Theatre, Morley College and Studio Kew. 
- Founder/Director of Vibrant Dance (est. 2024), where I fuse flamenco, classical Spanish and contemporary forms to inspire community engagement in dance and health. 

Academic Qualifications  
- BSc (Hons) in Applied Science, Bristol Polytechnic 
- PhD in Molecular Biology, Oxford Brookes University 
- Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education, London Metropolitan University

Dance Certifications  
- Grades 1–8 Flamenco & Spanish Dance, Sociedad de Baile Español 
- Danza Estilizada Grades 1 & 2, Sociedad de Baile Español 
- Diploma in Spanish Dance Teaching (IdB1), Sociedad de Baile Español 
Key Dance Training  
- Flamenco & Contemporary dance at Kanopy Dance School & Tania Tandias, Madison (1998–2002) 
- Steps on Broadway, New York (2002) 
- London School of Flamenco & Dance Attic Ballet (2003–2020)
- Sociedad de Baile Español classes, London studio center (2003-2020)
- Masterclasses with Conchita del Campo, Fenella Barker, Felipe Alcercias, Gemma de la Cruz, Brian Loftus (2005–2024) 

Specialties
- Flamenco & Classical Spanish Dance 
- Folkloric Spanish dance & Danza Estilizada 
- Contemporary Spanish and Fusion Dance 

In 2024 I created "the Vibrant dancer" a creative platform to explore contemporary issues using Flamenco, Spanish dance and contemporary dance as a dialogue.  At present I am preparing several choreographies for future performances (see below for more details).

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