31 August 2007

University of Dundee hosting major scientific congress on NDPK

Leading scientists and researchers from around the world will arrive in Dundee this weekend for a major congress examining emerging genetic links between major diseases including cancer, diabetes and cystic fibrosis.

Professor Sir David Lane will deliver the keynote address at the 7th International Congress of the NDP Kinase/NM23/awd Family, which takes place at the Apex City Quay Hotel in Dundee from Sunday September 2nd to Thursday September 6th.

Over 70 leading researchers, the majority of them from overseas, will attend the congress, which is titled, `Emerging links between cancer metastasis, metabolic syndrome, cystic fibrosis and fetal development.’

The Congress aims to to further debate and create greater cross-disciplinary collaboration in this area of research, which has a key role to play in understanding and tackling these conditions.

One key area delegates will look at is understanding how the NDPK gene affects the spread of cancer. The NDPK link to the spread of cancer was discovered by Professor Patricia Steeg, one of the co-chairs of the congress.

"This is an area of medical research which has the potential to make a significant impact on how we treat some major diseases," said Dr Anil Mehta, Reader in Child Health in the Department of Maternal and Child Health Sciences at the University of Dundee, who has organised the congress.

"It is extremely fitting that the Congress is taking place in Dundee where there has been so much good work done already in this area of research."

Professor Sir David Lane will deliver a keynote lecture, "p53 in Health and Disease" on Tuesday. Visitors to the Congress will be welcomed to Dundee on Sunday evening by University Principal Sir Alan Langlands.

Lord Provost John Letford will host a civic reception for the Congress delegates in Dundee City Chambers on Monday evening.

For more information on the conference, see: http://www.dundee.ac.uk/mchs/ndpk/

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