6 June 2008

Lorraine Kelly to open 'Research Shop'

Photo opportunity: 11am, Friday June 6
Main concourse, Ninewells Hospital
Lorraine Kelly will open the Clinical Research Centre `shop’

Lorraine Kelly, television personality and former Rector of the University of Dundee, will open a new 'research shop' at Ninewells Hospital today, Friday June 6th.

The 'shop' will act as an information point for the activities of the new £10.5 million Clinical Research Centre at Ninewells, a joint venture between the University of Dundee and NHS Tayside.

The 'shop' will provide details of clinical research studies being run at the CRC - as well as across NHS Tayside and the University - and how people can get involved. It will also provide information about research studies in general - how they are run and the benefits they can bring in tackling many of our major diseases.

"The Clinical Research Centre is a fantastic facility that is going to provide a real boost to the vast range of medical research taking place across Tayside and Fife," said Professor Alastair Thompson, Director of the new centre.

"The public here have been fantastic in supporting our research over many years and this centre will make it easier and more comfortable for them to continue doing that. The shop unit on the main concourse at Ninewells will be vital in letting people access information about the CRC and clinical trials in general."

Dr Charles Weller, CRC Operations Manager, said it was essential the public were given as much information as possible about clinical research studies and how they can engage with them.

"There are many benefits to clinical research and studies are essential if we are to gain a greater understanding of diseases such as diabetes and cancer and develop new treatments for them," said Dr Weller.

"At the same time we recognise that many people may not be aware of what is involved in taking part in clinical research and may be apprehensive. We want to get as much information to those people as we can and explain exactly what it is we are doing."

The Clinical Research Centre is a custom-built facility, located close to the multi-storey car park at Ninewells, which will act as a hub for the research community in Tayside and Fife, hosting patient trials in a comfortable setting. The initial range of trials set to run at the centre covers a range of diseases including diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular disease.

The centre has already started taking patients, with the first trial being run through the centre concentrating on diabetes. Around another 40 trials are already lined up, involving hundreds of patients from across Tayside and Fife.

The CRC will be formally opened by Nicola Sturgeon, Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Health and Wellbeing, on July 9th.

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