19 Nov 2018

Megan hopes comic will help others deal with grief

Inspired by the memory of her beloved father, University of Dundee PhD student Megan Sinclair has created a new comic that explores bereavement while raising both awareness of heart disease and funds for vital medical research. Close to the Heart will be launched at a symposium at Dundee Comics Creative Space on Wednesday 21 November. The publication centres on the sudden death of Megan’s father, George, who suffered a fatal heart attack in his sleep at the age of 53 in April 2014. She says the event turned her family and life upside down but her determination to do her father proud helped drive Meg...

16 Nov 2018

“Accidental” career choice lands Gary in A&E

For most a trip to hospital is never the result of careful planning, but one University of Dundee student has admitted that his new career as a nurse came about by accident. Gary Jordan, from Dundee, who will graduate at a ceremony at the city’s Caird Hall on Friday, has already started his dream job within the Accident and Emergency department of Tayside’s biggest hospital. The 30-year-old,  who will receive a Bachelor of Science Degree in Adult Nursing with a Distinction, has already joined the established emergency care team just in time for the East of Scotland Major Trauma Centre op...

16 Nov 2018

Refugee dentist pledges to help fix Syria after graduation

A Syrian refugee who had to flee his home country because of devastating war will graduate with distinction this week from the University of Dundee. Rawad Qaq endured a perilous 22-day journey, across the Mediterranean by boat and overland to Germany, before then coming to Dundee on a Humanitarian Scholarship to study a Masters in Forensic Dentistry. This week’s graduation will be even sweeter for the 27 year-old as he will collect his degree knowing he has a fully-funded scholarship to complete his PhD at the University – a postdoctoral program which he hopes will help him introduce Forensic...

15 Nov 2018

Graduation is icing on the cake for 100,000th graduate Avril

The University of Dundee has celebrated a special milestone in its history, with a renowned chef, who left school at 16 with no Highers, becoming the institution’s 100,000th graduate. Avril Burns (47) is used to serving up treats for Sir Andy Murray and his family as Head Pastry Chef at the tennis great’s luxury Cromlix Hotel in Dunblane and her graduation will mark game, set and match on a return to education that began five years ago. The Teaching Qualification in Further Education she received at the University’s Winter Graduation ceremony on Thursday 15 November builds on the HNC an...

13 Nov 2018

Concussion study calls for mandatory head protection in rugby

Rugby players can almost halve the force transferred to their head during an impact by wearing protective headgear, a study by the University of Dundee in Scotland has revealed. A team from the University’s Institute of Motion Analysis & Research (IMAR) has called for the wearing of headguards to become mandatory at all levels of the game after finding that some mainstream products mitigated impact levels on the head by up to 47%. The findings, published by the BMJ, found that even the least effective device tested could make a significant difference in preventing head injuries, such as concuss...