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21 January 2009

Sir Philip Cohen nominated for life sciences award

Professor Sir Philip Cohen, Director of the Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation Unit and Royal Society Research Professor at the University of Dundee has been nominated for a prestigious Scottish Enterprise Life Sciences Award 2009.

He has been shortlisted in the category of Leading Individual Contribution to Life Sciences in Scotland, in recognition of his illustrious career in the life sciences. The winners of the 2009 awards will be announced at the Scottish Enterprise Life Sciences Annual Dinner at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre on 5th February.

Sir Philip is not only Director of the Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation Unit, but recently received £10 million funding to set up the SCottish Institute for ceLL Signalling (SCILLS) at the University of Dundee, where he has been appointed as its first Director.

He also founded and is the co-Director of the Division of Signal Transduction Therapy (DSTT) at the University of Dundee, which is widely regarded as an exemplary model for the link up between academics and the pharmaceutical industry for which it received a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education in 2006. The DSTT is supported by several leading pharmaceutical companies including Pfizer and GlaxoSmithKline.

Philip Cohen’s pioneering research over the past 40 years has focused on protein phosphorylation. This process involves the attachment and removal of phosphates from proteins and is one of the major ways in which the body’s functions are regulated. Abnormal amounts of phosphate in proteins are regarded as the cause of many major diseases in the world and Sir Philip has said that: 'The enzymes that attach phosphate to proteins have become the pharmaceutical industry’s most important class of drug target.'

Last year, Sir Philip was elected a Foreign Associate of the United States National Academy of Sciences and received the Royal Medal for the Biological Sciences of the Royal Society of London.

Rhona Allison, director of Life Sciences at Scottish Enterprise, said: 'Despite a challenging economic backdrop, Scotland’s life sciences community continues to demonstrate the world class expertise and capabilities that we have in Scotland. The high calibre of nominees for this year’s Scottish Life Sciences Awards is testament to the excellent standard of work of companies and individuals over the past twelve months.'

'We look forward to honouring this pioneering work at the Scottish Enterprise Life Sciences Annual Dinner and celebrate the valuable contribution that life science companies and individuals continue to make to the growth of an industry which remains vital for the future health and wealth of Scotland.'

Sir Philip, said: 'It is always an honour to be thought of and nominated for an award such as Leading Individual Contribution to the Life Sciences in Scotland. This nomination recognises the quality of work and exceptional standards being carried out in my laboratory and at the units I oversee in Dundee.'

In 1999, technology called 'kinase profiling', which was developed in Sir Philip’s Unit led to the creation of Upstate Inc, in Dundee. The success of this biotechnology company led to its acquisition for $205 million by Serologicals in 2006. Serologicals was subsequently purchased by Millipore for US $1.4 billion in 2006. The Upstate Division of Millipore employs some 70 staff at its Dundee facility.

The Scottish Enterprise Life Sciences Annual Dinner attracts more than 600 people from the life sciences communities across the UK and abroad. Despite a backdrop of global economic uncertainty, this year's event will outline some of the key achievements of the wider Scottish life sciences sector during 2008 and highlight the continuing success of Scottish companies both at home and overseas.

Notes to Editors

The Nominees for the Scottish Enterprise Scottish Life Sciences Awards 2009 are:

Most promising new life science company in Scotland

  • Bio-Outsource, Glasgow
  • D3 Technologies Ltd, Glasgow
  • ReactivLab Limited, Glasgow

Leading contribution to Life Sciences in Scotland

  • Alba Bioscience Limited, Edinburgh
  • Charles River Laboratories, Edinburgh
  • Touch Bionics, Livingston

Leading Individual Contribution to Life Sciences in Scotland

  • Professor Philip Cohen, University of Dundee, Dundee
  • Professor Andy Porter, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen
  • Dr Ian Pollock Sword, Edinburgh

The Scottish Enterprise Life Sciences awards aim to recognise the groundbreaking work carried out in Scotland during 2008 and the valuable contribution that life sciences companies and individuals have made to the growth of the sector in recent years.

Issued on behalf of Scottish Enterprise by The BIG Partnership. For further information, please contact Eleanor Marshall or Marjorie Calder on 0141 333 9585 or eleanor.marshall@bigpartnership.co.uk / marjorie.calder@bigpartnership.co.uk.

For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
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University of Dundee
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