Major fundraising campaign for diabetes research at Dundee

A major campaign has been launched to raise £3 million to support research into diabetes at the University. The campaign will improve clinical research facilities at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School in Dundee, and extend clinical research programmes in Perth and Kinross and Angus.

The goal of the campaign is to raise £3million over two years to support three major initiatives:

• State-of-the-art outpatient clinical research facilities in Angus, Perth and Dundee, enabling scientists and doctors to work together to undertake research from "the cell to the community"
• An extension of dedicated diabetes laboratories at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School
• Clinical research equipment and recruitment of an international researcher to lead research, accelerating the bridging of the gap between the laboratory and the clinic

Professor Andrew Morris, one of Scotland's leading diabetic specialists, said, "The University of Dundee already has a long track record of internationally acclaimed diabetes research. But there is an urgent need to strengthen the clinical research facilities across Tayside and Perth for people with diabetes who so willingly support the research effort."

"Creating an adequate infrastructure will accelerate the research effort, expanding what current researchers are able to achieve, and create a research environment which will attract other leading researchers into Tayside."

Campaign chairman Michael Archibald said, "We want to appeal to the community right across Tayside and Perthshire with this campaign - it's crucial that people realise the seriousness of the rising incidence of diabetes and how improved clinical research facilities can have a real impact on patients' lives. We are immensely grateful to the Lord Provost of Dundee and the Provosts of Perth and Angus for helping us launch our campaign and we hope to inspire people across the region to help us raise our goal of £3m."

In addition to the £3 million campaign of public fundraising, there will also be significant investment from NHS Tayside, including £650,000 which has been granted from the NHS Tayside Endowment Fund.

NHS Tayside Chief Executive Professor Tony Wells said, "Our healthcare workers, doctors and nurses work closely with researchers and scientists and it is by developing this collaborative approach that we will continue to find out more about diabetes and improve services and treatments for patients."