McMurdo Tenovus award

Professor Marion McMurdo at the University of Dundee has won a national five yearly award for her work improving quality of life for the elderly.

Tenovus Scotland selected Marion for their prestigious Lady Illingworth award 2001.

She was presented with a cheque for £5,000 and a memento at the Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons dinner in Glasgow. She said: "It is a great honour to receive this award. It is recognition of our committed team of researchers in ageing and health in the medical school and also of the superb support which I have received over many years from colleagues in the Tayside Primary Care NHS Trust."

Marion is head of ageing and health in the department of medicine and consultant in medicine for the elderly with the Tayside Primary Care NHS Trust. The award is made every five years to a UK medic who has made a significant contribution to improving life for the elderly.

Marion's work is focussed on intervening to postpone or prevent the onset of disability in later life. She has demonstrated that old people's muscles can be trained and strengthened contrary to popular belief that muscle strength is lost in old age. She has extended the scope of exercise research to include frail elderly people and those in institutional care proving that exercise can improve functional capacity, independence and quality of life for older people.

Professor David Levison, Dean of the faculty of medicine, dentistry and nursing welcomed the award saying: "Professor McMurdo's unique and positive approach to old age is epitomised by her decision to name her department "ageing and health" as opposed to geriatric medicine. All of us in the medical school are delighted to see Marion's work recognised nationally through this award."

Professor McMurdo has served on the research committees of the Chief Scientist's Office since 1991, formerly as Vice-Chairman of the Disability and Continuing Health Care Committee, and latterly as a member of the Biomedical and Therapeutics Committee. Together with Dorothy Dobson, Marion helped establish 65 exercise classes for the over 60s throughout the UK ploughing the profits back into ageing research. Marion is a Dundee graduate and was appointed to the chair of ageing and health in 1997.

Caption Professor McMurdo

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