Week Ending August 27 2004 - Synopsis number 612

University of Dundee News

The bone of contention
It's 28 years since Renee MacRae and her son disappeared near Inverness. Their bodies have never been found. But Professor Sue Black hopes to solve the mystery. On Monday she will lead the search of a Highland quarry.
The Herald 27.08.04

Cancer research earns award
A promising young Dundee cancer scientist has been named the UK's young biochemist of the year for her groundbreaking research.
Press & Journal 27.08.04

Scientist honoured
As above
Evening Telegraph 26.08.04

Exhibitions opening at art college
The Final leg of a three-part international at exhibition will open to the public in Dundee on Monday. The exhibition, in the Cooper and Lower Foyer Galleries at Dundee University's Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, is entitled Body Memory and is free to view.
The Courier 27.08.04

International art exhibition in Dundee
As above
Evening Telegraph 26.08.04

Graeme's a celebrity in Denmark
A Dundee University student has become a minor celebrity in Scandinavia after developing a strange affection for a Danish football team.
Evening Telegraph 26.08.04

Cancer expert given role on science body
Cancer expert Dr Barbara Spruce from the Dundee University has been appointed to the Scottish Science Advisory Committee by the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
The Courier 26.08.04

GMTV's Kelly joins Camphill campaign
Lorraine Kelly, the GMTV presenter and rector of Dundee University, has become the latest personality to add her voice to the growing clamour of protest over plans to drive the new Aberdeen bypass through the centre of the internationally renowned Camphill Community.
The Scotsman 26.08.04

No title
Ninewells Cancer Campaign received a welcome boost to the tune of £1250 yesterday, thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Arbroath choir, In Harmony.
The Courier 26.08.04

Forgotten artist's exhibition
An exhibition featuring the work of Dundee painter David Foggie, whose work has been almost forgotten for 50 years, will open at the University of Dundee on Friday.
The Courier 25.08.04

Cancer unplugged
For years, the less glamorous workings of cell life, such as energy metabolism and cell growth, haven't carried much cachet in the field of cancer research. But all that may be changing. Last year, Graham Hardie and Dario Alessi at the University of Dundee in Scotland challenged the old assumptions with a stunning discovery. Not only did their work suggest that energy is a key factor in cancer, it also linked diabetes and cancer in an entirely new way.
New Scientist August 2004

On a mission to solve murder mystery
World-renowned forensic scientist returns to Highlands for a case from her childhood. Yesterday, Professor Sue Black, the renowned forensic anthropologist was back near her home city hoping to help solve one of Scotland's most enduring mysteries and a crime etched in her memory.
The Scotsman 24.08.04

'If bodies are here, we'll identify them'
As above
The Herald 24.08.04

Quarry search for MacRaes begins
As above
The Courier 24.08.04

All materials removed will be closely checked
Continued from above
The Courier 24.08.04

Experts vow to find bodies if quarry is Renee's grave
As above
Press & Journal (front page) 24.08.04

Digging begins in search of mother and son missing since 1976
As above
The Guardian 24.08.04

Quarry hunt begins
As above
The Times 24.08.04

Murder expert out to solve case that haunts her
For Sue Black, the top forensic anthropologist, who has worked on mass graves in Iraq and Bosnia, it is the beginning of a quest to solve a mystery that has haunted her for 28 years.
The Times 23.08.04

Police start digging for the truth about Renee MacRae
As above
The Scotsman 23.08.04

Scientists set for Renee MacRae investigation
As above
The Courier 23.08.04

My hatred for Renee's killer, by best friend
As above
Press & Journal 23.08.04

Tayside walkers put heart into castle trek
Dundee's Lord Provost pulled on his hiking boots yesterday and joined walkers from throughout Tayside to help raise funds for cardiovascular research.
Press & Journal 23.08.04

City's students set to shell out £7.9 million
A survey released to day shows that Dundee's students are set to spend a total of £79 million on rent and term-time expenses in the coming academic year.
The Courier 23.08.04

UK students keep spirits up with £1bn booze spree
Students partying with friends at university spend nearly £1 billion on alcohol alone every year - but Aberdeen's young scholars spend less than most on a night out. Dundee also figured highly, in eighth place, while Edinburgh was 14th and St Andrews 15th.
Press & Journal 23.08.04

Four in 10 students take jobs in term time to meet bills
As above
The Herald 23.08.04

Coup for Dundee as Upstate opts for Tayside to set up home
US Drugs services group Upstate has snubbed the south of England in favour of Dundee as the new home of its European headquarters, reinforcing the Scottish city's position at the forefront of UK life Sciences.
The Scotsman 23.08.04

Medical school gets good review
The worst thing Dundee medical students have to cope with is the local accent. That's the verdict of a hugely positive review of Dundee University's Medical School in a newly-published guide to British medical schools.
The Courier 21.08.04

Dundee is "very student friendly"
As above
Evening Telegraph 20.08.04

Students win university places
Dundee University rector Lorraine Kelly last night attended a graduation ceremony for 68 students from the Institution's access summer school.
The Courier 21.08.04

Ceremony at summer school
As above
Press & Journal 21.08.04

University of Dundee Radio, TV & online

Sports
Andrew Rennock from the Sports Union talks about less popular sports and the Olympics.
Lesley Riddoch programme, BBC Radio Scotland 27.08.04

Are nicotine patches safe for pregnant women?
A £1 million study, being led by a team of multidisciplinary researchers at The University of Nottingham, is to look at whether nicotine replacement skin patches could help pregnant mums to stop smoking. The team includes other colleagues from the University’s Schools of Community Health Sciences, Medical and Surgical Sciences and Human Development under the umbrella of the Institute for Clinical Research, as well as researchers from the universities of Dundee and York.
http://www.news-medical.net/?id=4339 26.08.04

Renee: Experts vow to unearth quarry secrets
A team of specialists started the unprecedented task yesterday of digging through 20,000 tonnes of earth to try to find the remains of missing Highland woman Renee MacRae and her son, Andrew. Forensic anthropologist Professor Sue Black, of Dundee University, is associated with the Centre for International Forensic Assistance (Cifa), which has found the bodies of victims of violent death in Iraq and Kosovo.
http://www.thisisnorthscotland.co.uk/ 24.08.04

Police dig quarry in grim hunt for Renee
As above
http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/print/news/5029893.shtml 24.08.04

Quarry may hold key to Renee mystery
As above
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3593550.stm 24.08.04

If bodies are here we will find them
As above
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/ 24.08.04

Quarry search for two bodies
As above
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ 24.08.04

Quarry hunt begins for missing mother and son
Prof Sue Black of Dundee University and Prof John Hunter of Birmingham University will lead the team searching for the remains of Renee MacRae, 36, and her three-year-old son Andrew at Dalmagarry Quarry, near Inverness.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/ 23.08.04

Quarry Dig Could Solve 28-Year-Old Riddle
As above
http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3392856 23.08.04

Forensic experts to search quarry
As above
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/scotland/3586286.stm 23.08.04

Forensic experts begin search
As above
Wave 102 23.08.04

Friendly bacteria 'target ulcers'
Scientists in Scotland have discovered that people with ulcerative colitis have lower levels of a specific type of friendly bacteria. Professor George Macfarlane and colleagues at the University of Dundee say their discovery could transform the treatment of these patients.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/3582902.stm 22.08.04

Blackboard Content System Release 2.0 Available Now
Blackboard Inc. (Nasdaq: BBBB) announced today the launch of the Blackboard Content System(TM) (Release 2.0), in time for the start of the 2004-05 academic year. Other institutions that have recognized the value of the Blackboard Content System and are implementing it include: Binghamton University, Clemson University, Cambridge University, Hudson Valley Community College, University of Melbourne, University of Dundee, University of Durham and Ryerson University.
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/ 23.08.04

University of Abertay

University links with Angus College
Educational opportunities in Angus have received a boost with the signing of a new memorandom of agreement between the University of Abertay Dundee and Angus College.
The Courier 25.08.04

National News

5% more Scots this year go to university
More Scots look set to start degree course in Scotland this year than in 2003, while the number of overseas students taking places has also risen, provisional university entrance figures revealed yesterday.
The Courier 26.08.04

More English students opt for Scottish universities
The number of students from England coming to study at Scottish universities has risen sharply since last year, new figures show.
The Scotsman 26.08.04

Cuttings from last week - please see:

[Week ending - 20 August 2004]
[National TV & Newspapers]

If you wish to receive copies of cuttings please print the synopsis page (this page) marking the article you would like copied and send to Susan Ferguson, Press & Publications Office, 5th Floor Tower Building. We also offer a weekly synopsis by e-mail through the Cuttings Service.