23 Apr 2015

‘What does it mean to be Sustainable?’ – Café Science on 27th April

Sustainability has become something of a buzz word in recent years, an ambiguous goal thrown around in place of real, measurable targets. The concept will be re-evaluated by Professor Ioan Fazey from the University of Dundee later this month when he asks what it actually means to be sustainable at the next Café Science event to be held in the city. Professor Fazey will explore whether and how we can be truly environmentally sustainable. The talk, being held at Avery & Co, on Monday, 27th April, will draw on his research in the Solomon Islands, where he worked with rural communities to explore ...

23 Apr 2015

University’s gender equality commitment earns Athena SWAN awards

The University of Dundee’s work in advancing gender equality across the institution has been recognised with two Athena SWAN Bronze awards. The Athena SWAN awards recognise commitment and success in developing practices to support the careers of women in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) in academia. The University’s Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification and College of Life Sciences have each been recognised for their commitment to gender equality and have both been successful in obtaining Athena SWAN Departmental bronze awards. The Centre and College now joi...

22 Apr 2015

`The Just War: The Morality and Ethics of Going to War’

Lord Guthrie, the UK’s former Chief of Defence, will return to his familial roots next week to give a public lecture at the University of Dundee on `The Just War: The Morality and Ethics of Going to War’. Lord Charles Guthrie of Craigiebank is a Field Marshal whose military career included service with the Welsh Guards and the Special Air Service. He was closely involved in military operations in Northern Ireland and provided advice to the British Government during the Bosnian War and the Kosovo War. He was Professional Head of the British Army between 1994 and 1997 and Chief of Defence f...

22 Apr 2015

Study to establish bowel cancer `risk score’

Leading experts in bowel cancer screening at the University of Dundee are launching a research project to develop a new `risk score’ for patients that could lead to more effective identification of those at risk from the disease. The researchers say a practical risk assessment for GPs could lead to quicker diagnosis, save thousands of people every year from undergoing unnecessary colonoscopies, and save the NHS millions of pounds. Bob Steele, Professor of Surgery and Head of Cancer Research at the University of Dundee, said, “The idea is to try and develop a risk score for patients with bowel...

21 Apr 2015

`Rising tide’ of drug prescriptions needs to addressed, says new study

A ‘rising tide’ in the use of prescribed medications and potentially serious drug interactions raises significant concerns of adverse drug reactions that need to be addressed, according to a new study published by researchers at the University of Dundee. A fifteen-year study of prescribing data for all 310,000 adults resident in the Tayside region of Scotland showed that, between 1995 and 2010, the proportion of adults being dispensed more than five drugs doubled to 20.8 per cent, and the proportion dispensed more than 10 drugs tripled to 5.8 per cent. Researchers say this rise in multiple dr...