29 May 2006

Perth launch of major fundraising campaign for diabetes research

PHOTO OPPORTUNITY - TUESDAY MAY 30TH, 7 PM
PERTH COUNCIL CHAMBERS,

A major fundraising campaign to extend facilities and clinical research programmes for diabetes in Perth and Kinross receives its local launch at Perth Council Chambers on Tuesday May 30th.

Provost Bob Scott will host the reception for the Perth 'People’s Launch' of the Diabetes Research Campaign, which has been launched by the University of Dundee and aims to raise £3 million across Tayside.

A key part of the campaign is to provide state-of-the-art clinical research facilities at Perth Royal Infirmary, enabling scientists and doctors to work together to undertake research from 'the cell to the community'.

"Diabetes is an epidemic which is still growing but by developing improved clinical research facilities and supporting research we can have a real impact on patients’ lives," said campaign chairman Mr Michael Archibald, a Perthshire businessman and himself a diabetes sufferer.

"The University of Dundee already has a long track record of internationally acclaimed diabetes research. But there is an urgent need to strengthen the clinical research facilities across Tayside and Perth for people with diabetes."

"The public across Tayside have been marvellous at supporting the research effort in the past and we want to appeal to them again to support this campaign, which will have an impact right across the region."

The goal of the campaign is to raise £3million over two years and will support three major initiatives:

• State-of-the-art outpatient clinical research facilities in Angus, Perth and Dundee, enabling scientists and doctors to work together to undertake research from 'the cell to the community'.
• An extension of dedicated diabetes laboratories at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School which will strengthen clinical research in Perth and Angus by enabling teams to link research and patient care together.
• Clinical research equipment and recruitment of an international researcher to lead research into Type 1 diabetes, complementing much of the work already being done at the University.

Professor Andrew Morris, one of Scotland’s leading diabetic specialists, said, "Creating an adequate infrastructure across the region is vital to accelerate the research effort."

"We have already received the enthusiastic support of people right across Tayside, and boosting our research facilities in Perth, for instance, will make it much easier for people in Perth and Kinross to engage in our research programmes, something which is hugely important."

Provost Bob Scott said, "Perth & Kinross Council is very proud to be hosting the launch of this important campaign, which will bring cutting-edge research facilities to Tayside."

"I wish the campaign every success and would urge residents of the region to get right behind it so we can build on the excellent work already being done here in the field of diabetes research."

In addition to the £3 million campaign of public fundraising, there will also be significant investment from NHS Tayside, including £650,000 which has been granted from the NHS Tayside Endowment Fund.

The University of Dundee has been hailed as a 'world-leading centre' for research into diabetes and is home to the Dundee Diabetes Research Centre, which hosts over 25 research teams engaged in diabetes research, ranging from the study of single molecules to complex clinical studies.

NOTES TO EDITORS

The Diabetes Research Campaign is being launched with three civic receptions - 'The People’s Launches'. The first of these took place in Dundee earlier in May. The Angus launch will take place on June 12th. Local fundraising plans will be announced at each of the receptions.

Dundee was hailed as 'a world-leading centre' for research into diabetes by Douglas Smallwood, chief executive of Diabetes UK, on a visit to the University in August 2005. Diabetes UK are a major funder of diabetes research at the University, directing over 90% of its Scottish research funding to Dundee.

The Dundee Diabetes Research Centre is a joint venture between the Faculty of Life Sciences and the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry & Nursing, currently hosting over 25 research teams that have a shared interest in diabetes research, ranging from the study of single molecules to complex clinical studies. Professor Dario Alessi, diabetes researcher in the MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit at the School of Life Sciences, is Director of the Diabetes Research Centre.

Professor Andrew Morris, also Scotland’s lead clinician for diabetes, is based within the Medical School at Ninewells Hospital. Professor Morris co-ordinates a collaborative research programme that looks at health informatics of diabetes (DARTS/MEMO Collaboration), the clinical epidemiology of diabetes and genetic epidemiology of diabetes (with the Biomedical Research Centre). Prof Morris also plays a leading role in the Generation Scotland project (www.generationscotland.org)

The Medical School, in collaboration with NHS Tayside, hosts the £2 million development of SCI-DC, the national diabetes computing system for Scotland. The cardiovascular implications of diabetes are being explored in collaboration with The Institute of Cardiovascular Research, also based at Ninewells Hospital.

The Tayside NHS Board Endowment Fund represents monies held in trust on behalf of the ordinary people of Tayside, who through fundraising efforts or legacies have chosen to allocate sums to NHS Tayside. The funds are not used directly for patient care but may be used for patient comforts in wards and departments and, in this case, to support clinical research.

For further information contact:

Roddy Isles
Head, Press Office
University of Dundee
Nethergate Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: 01382 384910
email: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk