19 June 2008

International Cancer Research Conference Provides Six-figure Boost to Dundee and Angus Economy

An international cancer research conference held in Dundee has brought a six-figure boost to the local community. The Dundee - Toulouse Cancer Research Alliance Conference, held on 12-14th June this year, generated almost £200,000 for the region's economy.

The conference, which included addresses by leading cancer research experts Anne-Catherine Prats and Professor Louis Buscail, attracted almost 200 delegates from all over the globe. Topics discussed over the three-day conference included Cell Signalling, Clinical and Translational Research, Technology, Imaging and Drug Discovery.

Karen Tocher, business tourism manager of the Dundee & Angus Convention Bureau said: "Dundee has gained a reputation for pioneering medical research and hosting this conference has added further credence to that status. Staging these types of events also provides benefits for the local community too - this event alone was worth almost £200,000 to the local economy, which shows the importance of continuing to attract conferences to the region."

Dr Jean-Christophe Bourdon, University of Dundee added: "The conference was a huge success and is another vital step towards developing a sound infrastructure for experts in the field of cancer research to learn from each others work and cultivate partnerships and potential collaborations. Dundee was the ideal location for providing this forum for sharing knowledge given the excellent facilities available, and its position at the forefront of worldwide cancer research efforts."

For further information regarding the Dundee - Toulouse Cancer Research Alliance Conference visit www.dtcancerconference.org.

For more information about the Dundee & Angus Convention Bureau visit www.conventiondundeeandangus.co.uk or contact 01382 527531.

For further information contact:
Laura Anderson
Account Manager
Tricker PR
Direct: 01224 654081
Telephone: 01224 646491
Mobile: 07795 522 011
Email: landerson@trickerpr.com.

Dundee and Toulouse Universities are two of the institutes involved in an initiative by Inserm (Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale), the French equivalent of the British Medical Research Council. Through funding research on a worldwide basis, the purpose of the initiative is to create an international network of research centres. Dundee University has established an Inserm funded laboratory as part of this project. Other Inserm funded laboratories have been set up in Japan, South Korea, Shanghai, Heidelberg, University of Glasgow and University of Harvard.

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