Chris Hanley completed undergraduate studies at the University of Leeds in 1996 and an MA at the University of Manchester in 1998. He qualified with a PGCE (secondary English) from Manchester Metropolitan University in 1999 and completed a PhD with the School of English at the University of Leeds in 2007.

Chris taught in secondary schools and colleges in Manchester, Salford and Warrington between 1999 and 2010. He taught on various undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at the Universities of Leeds and Bolton and Manchester Metropolitan University from 2005-2009 before accepting a full-time post at Manchester Met in 2010.

Chris is the co-convenor of the Curriculum, Assessment & Pedagogy SIG, and sits on the British Curriculum Forum Steering Group.