28 August 2006

Donation to Diabetes Research

Photo Opportunity: 6.10 pm, Monday, 28 August
Sir James Black Centre (formerly Centre for Interdisciplinary Research)
College of Life Sciences, University of Dundee

Diabetes research in the MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit based in the University of Dundee is to benefit from the generosity of the local community following a Gala Day and Car Boot Sale organised by Camperdown Lodge.

The members of Camperdown Lodge ran a successful Gala Day on 8 July and brick-a-brac sale on 26 August in aid of diabetes research, specifically the research being undertaken in the laboratory of Professor Dario Alessi and Dr Kei Sakamoto.

Mr Abbie Clark and members of the Lodge will be given a tour of the laboratory facilities at the College of Life Sciences by Professor Alessi and Dr Sakamoto, and will present a cheque for £2,257 to Professor Alessi at 6 pm on Monday, 28 August.

Dario and Kei work at the MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit in the College of Life Sciences whose work is aimed at better understanding the causes of diabetes and researching for improved ways to treat this serious disease.

Professor Alessi said "Diabetes is a very serious and debilitating disease affecting nearly 14,000 people in Tayside. Compared to other ailments such as cancer, funds available for research into the causes and treatments of diabetes are extremely limited. I would like to thank all those of the Camperdown Lodge who made a tremendous effort in their Gala Day to raise so much money that will enable us to perform research into understanding the causes of Type2 diabetes. It is a great privilege to receive support for our research from the local community of Dundee. We are also particularly grateful that this is the third year that the Camperdown Lodge has raised money to support research in our laboratory."

"The funds were raised in previous years were used to enable promising students from overseas (India and Germany) to visit and work in Dundee to gain expertise and knowledge in diabetes research."

Established in 1826, Camperdown Lodge No. 317 was the 7th Lodge to be formed in the city of Dundee.

Contact: Abbie Clark: 01382 385830; Dario Alessi: 01382 388058

For media enquiries contact:

Roddy Isles
Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384910
E-MAIL: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk