24 May 2016
Tuberculosis drug may also target visceral leishmaniasis
A drug that has already been approved for treatment of tuberculosis could also be a powerful tool to combat another of the developing world’s major diseases, researchers at the University of Dundee have found. Visceral leishmaniasis is a disease which blights the developing world with 200,000 to 400,000 new cases and 48,000 deaths annually. The vast majority of cases are seen in six countries - Bangladesh, Brazil, Ethiopia, India, South Sudan and Sudan. There are no vaccines available and current drug treatments all have serious limitations such as prolonged administration (mainly by injection), hi...
24 May 2016
Former Lord Provost to discuss George Bush snub in new book
Former Lord Provost John Letford turned down a meeting with the most powerful man in the free world to honour a scheduled visit to steel workers in Baltimore – just one of the many revelations contained in the autobiography he is launching at the University of Dundee this week. Mr Letford will talk about his life of public service and the sometimes unsavoury side of local politics when he discusses ‘Fae the Boatyaird to Buckingham Palace’ at the University’s D’Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre on Thursday, 26th May. As Dundee’s Lord Provost from 2001 until 2012, Mr Letford...
24 May 2016
Beautiful jewellery to provoke debate on climate change
A University of Dundee student has combined her passion for the environment, love of experimentation and metalwork skills to produce stunning rings and other items of jewellery that highlight the issue of rising sea temperatures. Chloe Lewis says she has always been drawn to polar icecaps and the layers of frozen water that form into frost flowers - exquisite patterns that resemble delicate blooms. During her time on the Jewellery & Metal Design programme she began thinking about ways she could communicate the issue of global warming and, in particular, the risks it poses to the Arctic region she sees...
24 May 2016
Students to study refugee camps in Dunkirk and Calais
Social work students from the University of Dundee are busy fundraising for a trip to the refugee camps at Calais and Dunkirk. Members from the Dundee Social Work Action Network (SWAN) want to report on the living conditions and the mental health of those living in the camps. Their report will then be presented to both the Scottish and UK Governments as part of National Refugee Week. Dr Jane Fenton, Senior Lecturer from the School of Education and Social Work is helping the group. She said. “This is a fantastic opportunity for the University of Dundee to play an active part in. I am incredibly prou...
23 May 2016
Degree Show seeks to tackle Scotland’s housing challenges
How would a Manhattan-inspired block work beside the Edinburgh by-pass? How do we make homes energy-autonomous? How can urban sprawl and planning legislation be reconciled? What can be done to ensure the housing needs of vulnerable members of society are met? These are some of the pressing social questions that Architecture graduands from the University of Dundee have been grappling with over the past year and their proposed solutions are currently being exhibited at the 2016 Degree Show. Forty-nine graduating students are displaying their work at Degree Show along with students from years 1-4 of the Arc...
