22 April 2008

Kitty Cameron Fund supports another PhD student

A charitable fund raised in the name of a young Perthshire woman who died seven years ago is to support a second PhD student at the University of Dundee.

Kitty Cameron, from Birnam, died in April 2001, aged twenty. Kitty had a brain tumour which reappeared after undergoing radiotherapy the previous year.

Her parents, Elizabeth and Reverend Peter Cameron, decided to raise money to contribute to the world-class cancer research conducted by scientists led by Professor Sir David Lane at the University of Dundee Medical School.

The Kitty Cameron Endowment Fund has already helped one student, Susie Camus, through her PhD studies in the Division of Surgery and Oncology at the University’s School of Medicine. Now the fund is helping support Julin Wong, a PhD student from Singapore.

Money was raised through generous donations from Peter’s former parishes at St Andrews Strathtay and St Mary’s Birnam, and through contributions from the general public and charitable foundations. By the end of 2007, the total raised by the fund stood at over £61,000.

Recruitment of young researchers such as Julin to the University’s PhD programme will ensure that these funds continue to be directed towards helping us understand the processes that underlie cancer.

"We are absolutely delighted that this money is able to help a young scientist like Julin through her studies," said Mrs Cameron. "What happened to Kitty came to us out of the blue and we will always feel her loss deeply. We were determined to try and help prevent this happening to another family, so we have been extremely glad to support the next generation of cancer researchers."

"Investing in talented young researchers like Susie and Julin is something that will bring benefit for years to come."

Susie Camus is now working as a post-doctoral scientist at the Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology, Singapore. Julin has made the reverse journey, coming from Singapore to study for her PhD in Dundee.

"I am extremely grateful to the fund for helping support me in my studies here in Dundee," said Julin. "I am excited to be here and it is a real honour to be receiving this kind of support."

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