27 Mar 2018

Identifying drug candidates for neglected diseases

The University of Dundee’s Drug Discovery Unit (DDU) will collaborate with the not-for-profit research and development organisation Drugs for Neglected Diseases initiative (DNDi) and GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) in a bid to discover new pre-clinical drug candidates targeting two parasitic neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), leishmaniasis and Chagas disease. “This agreement will be a boost to our long-term strategy to develop entirely new chemical entities to treat neglected diseases and provide better treatment options for patients. Today, treatments for both leishmaniasis and Chagas diseas...

26 Mar 2018

University lecturer is top of her class

An “inspirational” University of Dundee lecturer has been hailed for her innovative teaching methods after winning a prestigious national award. The Scottish Association of Social Work (SASW) named Gil Martin as its Lecturer of the Year at its annual awards ceremony in Edinburgh. Ms Martin, a Dundee graduate who joined the social work lecturing staff three years ago, was honoured by judges after surprising students with a real-life lesson in letter writing. Dr Trish McCulloch, Social Work Lead at Dundee who nominated her colleague for the award, said, “Gil created a simulated exercise,...

23 Mar 2018

‘My Silence Will Never Protect Me’ – exhibition by Duncan of Jordanstone artist

Artist Janice Aitken, Reader and Associate Dean at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design, has created 17 stunning photographic portraits for a new public exhibition celebrating women’s voices. ‘My Silence Will Never Protect Me’ is situated on the hoardings around Slessor Gardens and runs until May. For it, Janice photographed a diverse group of women and encouraged them to share stories about ways in which their voices have been silenced and how they have spoken out. The exhibition forms part of the ‘Sharing Not Hoarding’ project and coincided with International ...

22 Mar 2018

Signalling study sheds light on conditions from alopecia to cancer

Researchers from the University of Dundee and the Francis Crick Institute have made a significant discovery about a cellular pathway associated with developmental defects and a myriad of diseases ranging from alopecia to colorectal cancer. The research, jointly led by Dundee’s Dr Gopal Sapkota and Professor Sir Jim Smith of the Crick, examined the role of a protein called PAWS1 in the Wnt signalling pathway, which is of fundamental importance in shaping developing embryos and controlling cell fate in adults. Mutations that cause slight alterations in Wnt signalling can lead to the developmental def...

22 Mar 2018

Dundee ranked among UK’s best for student experience

The University of Dundee has been ranked among the top universities in the United Kingdom – and 2nd in Scotland – in the 2018 Times Higher Education Student Experience Survey. This year’s survey ranks 116 universities across the UK. Dundee is placed 14th overall, one place higher than last year. Dundee is 2nd in Scotland, just behind its close neighbour the University of St Andrews. Professor Sir Pete Downes, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Dundee, said, “This is another very good result for the University and shows that we continue to offer one of the best stud...