Parker is director, ICGEB, Cape Town Component; member, exec. committee, IUBMB; founder sec. gen. of FASBMB; vice President of Acad. Science of SA. He obtained his PhD from UCT in 1979. He and his team have identified a novel transcription factor responsible for transcriptional modulation of collagen gene expression and identified several genetic polymorphisms that are important in gene-environment interaction in the aetiology of Oesophageal cancer. His awards include: DST/NRF research chair in cancer biology, an MRC funded Oesophageal Cancer Research Group; Outstanding Scientist Award, Natl. Science and Technology Forum; Gold Medal, South African Soc. for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and Oettle Memorial Medal, Cancer Association of SA. He is founding member of ASSAf and member of Islamic World Academy of Sciences.