Dundee to reveal cutting-edge research into infectious diseases

Published On Thu 5 May 2016 by Dominic Younger

The role the University of Dundee plays in fighting infectious diseases and preventing the global rise in drug-resistance will be explored by Mike Ferguson, Regius Professor of Life Sciences, at the next Saturday Evening Lecture later this month.

In his talk ‘What is the University of Dundee doing about infectious diseases?’, Professor Ferguson will outline the cutting-edge work being carried out across the University in its efforts to make better use of existing antibiotics.  He will discuss how drug resistant infections arise and how they are developing new medicines to fight against parasites, bacteria and viruses (including malaria, tuberculosis, leishmaniasis and sleeping sickness).

Professor Ferguson, will show how the world-leading Drug Discovery Unit (DDU) bridges the gap between academic, scientific research and drug discovery and development. He will also illustrate how colleagues in Life Sciences, Medicine, Science & Engineering and Art & Design are coordinating their expertise to rise to the challenge of drug resistant infections, both locally and globally.

“From teams probing how biological membranes and their ion channels and pumps – essential for everything from germs to brains - really work, to academic researchers continually discovering new biological processes in microbes that could be targets for new drugs, the DDU and the University is tackling unmet medical needs as well as critically delivering on new potential treatments for infectious diseases every year,” explained Professor Ferguson.

“Furthermore, clinician scientists at Ninewells Hospital are leading research in ‘antibiotic stewardship’, to get the best use out of existing and future medicines, and performing crucial trials on new therapeutics. At the same time, scientists from Medicine and Life Sciences are collaborating with mathematicians, physicists, computer scientists and designers to look for innovation and new ways of tacking drug resistant infections.”

Professor Ferguson’s Saturday Evening Lecture takes place on Saturday, 14^th May at 6pm in the University’s Dalhousie Building.

The Saturday Evening Lecture Series (SELS) is Scotland's oldest continuous free public lecture series and attracts thousands of people each year eager to hear from prestigious, world-class speakers.

This is a free event and everyone is welcome. Due to limited seating, please book in advance to avoid disappointment.

For free tickets or more info go to www.dundee.ac.uk/sels, call 01382 385108, or email events@dundee.ac.uk

For media enquiries contact:
Dominic Glasgow
Media Relations Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 385131
Email: d.w.glasgow@dundee.ac.uk