20 May 2008

'From the Gene to the Patient' - public lecture 21/5/08

The development of genetic treatments to cure diseases will be addressed in a Bio-Dundee public lecture tomorrow by Professor Irene Leigh, Head of the College of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing at the University of Dundee.

Professor Leigh’s lecture, titled `From the Gene to the Patient’, will examine genetic treatments are being developed and applied to clinical practice.

Her lecture will concentrate on two diseases - Pachyonychia Congenita and Epidermolysis Bullosa - where researchers in Dundee have played key roles in identifying genetic defects and addressing these through the development of new treatments.

"I want to show were we are in terms of delivering these treatments to patients - how we discovered the genetic problems and how we have addressed them," said Professor Leigh. "One of the key things I want to reinforce is the sort of timescales we have to work with when developing these treatements - we originally discovered the missing proteins in EB in 1985 but it is only now that we are at the stage of converting that discovery into treatment for patients."

The lecture takes place in the D’Arcy Thompson Lecture Theatre at the University of Dundee Tower Building, Perth Road, Dundee, on Wednesday May 21st at 7 pm. The event is free and all are welcome to attend.

NOTES TO EDITORS
Professor Irene Leigh holds the Chair of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, has a world class reputation in skin biology and disease and extensive research management experience in universities and the NHS.

Her career developed in London as Dean for Research at Queen Mary's and Joint Research Director with Barts and the London NHS Trust. She was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 1999.

She has directed a large international research group studying many other aspects of skin cell and molecular biology. Following a successful quinquennial review, the Cancer Research UK Skin Tumour Laboratory, which she directs, together with a DEBRA funded programme in skin cancer accompanied her to Dundee.

Professor Leigh is on multiple scientific and editorial advisory boards in Europe and held office in national and European dermatological research Societies and has remained involved in student teaching and activities, particularly in e-learning. Over the last six years she has published over 60 peer reviewed papers and has attracted millions of pounds worth of research grants.

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