10 July 2007

CSO Clinician Scientist Award 2007 goes to Dundee University academic

The prestigious Scottish Clinician Scientist Award for 2007 has been given to the University of Dundee’s Dr Miles Witham.

Dr Miles Witham is a clinical lecturer in the Section of Ageing and Health at Dundee University Medical School and a Specialist Registrar in Medicine for the Elderly with NHS Tayside.

The Clinician Scientist Award is aimed at doctors who research disease in patients and is presented on a competitive basis to just to one doctor in Scotland every year. It is funded by NHS Education Scotland and is aimed at developing world class clinical academic doctors in Scotland.

The scheme was founded after the realisation that despite rapid advances in laboratory science, doctors who are skilled at researching disease in patients were in short supply. The award covers a five year period, including money for a three year clinical research project funded by the Chief Scientist Office of the Scottish Executive. Dr Witham’s research project will be on the effect of vitamin D on heart disease.

Dr Witham said: "I am delighted to have won this award, which will give a terrific boost not only to me personally, but to study common conditions that affect so many older people - a group that are often overlooked when it comes to research. The award is also a great vote of confidence in the high quality research environment here in Dundee, and reinforces Dundee’s reputation as one of the leading centres in Europe for research into conditions affecting older people."

Dr Witham works with Professor Marion McMurdo, head of the Section of Ageing and Health, and Professor Allan Struthers, head of the Division of Medicine and Therapeutics at Ninewells Hospital. Professor McMurdo said: "This is a marvellous achievement for Dr Witham and the Medical School. It will allow us to further expand our research activities and learn more about how to best ensure the health of our growing ageing population".

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