16 May 2008

Dundee scientist inducted into science ‘Hall of Fame’

Professor Dario Alessi, Deputy Director of the Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation Unit and Professor of Cell Signalling in the College of Life Sciences at the University of Dundee, has been elected a Fellow of The Royal Society of London, the highest accolade a UK scientist can receive.

Professor Alessi’s election to the science ‘Hall of Fame’ recognises his major contributions to our understanding of how mutations in particular enzymes cause diabetes, cancer and hypertension.

Professor Alessi discovered the enzyme that was the missing link in a chain of events by which insulin induces the conversion of glucose in the blood to its storage form, glycogen, in muscle and liver. His research went on to identify the enzyme as a promising anti-cancer agent. He then solved the structure of another enzyme and explained how mutations in it cause cancer. In a further project, he worked out how mutations in a particular family of enzymes give rise to an inherited hypertension syndrome.

These wide-ranging discoveries have suggested new ways to prevent and treat cancer and to develop improved drugs for the treatment of high blood pressure. Professor Alessi has now shifted his attention to the role of another enzyme and why mutations in it cause Parkinson’s disease.

Commenting on the award, Professor Alessi said: "I was completely amazed to hear about my election. Now the shock is over, I’m especially looking forward to signing my name in the Royal Society Charter Book, which contains signatures of legendary scientists from the past 350 years including Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin and Francis Crick. This will be an unbelievable moment for me, and a tribute to the researchers in my lab, past and present, with whom I’ve had the privilege to work."

"The excellent facilities at Dundee University and fabulous support from my colleagues have also made an enormous contribution to my work and I’d especially like to thank Philip Cohen for providing me with much of the inspiration, resources and laboratory facilities to undertake my research."

"A crucial ingredient has also been the Medical Research Council which, for the last 17 years, has generously supported a large proportion of my research. This has enabled me to tackle long-term challenging projects that I would otherwise have been unable to undertake."

"I have also benefited greatly from the support of many charities including Diabetes UK, the Association for International Cancer Research, the Wellcome Trust, the Moffat Charitable Trust and Camperdown Lodge in Dundee. I would like to thank them profusely for the research funds they have provided."

Notes to Editors

About Dario Alessi
Dario Alessi is 40 years of age and obtained a BSc and PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Birmingham. He came to Dundee in 1991 after receiving a postdoctoral training fellowship from the Medical Research Council to work with Sir Philip Cohen in the MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit. He set up his own research team in the Unit in 1998, becoming its Deputy Director in April 2007.

Professor Alessi’s achievements have been recognised previously by many research prizes, culminating in 2005 with the award of the EMBO Gold Medal, the premier award in Europe for a life scientist under the age of 40. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2002, was made an Honorary Professor of the University of Dundee in 2003, and a member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation in 2005. According to the Institute for Scientific Information in Philadelphia, Professor Alessi was the world’s 13th most cited scientist working in the field of biochemistry and biology over the ten-year period from 1995 - 2005.

About The Royal Society
Each year, around 40 people across the UK, Commonwealth and the Republic of Ireland, working in all branches of science ranging from mathematics to astronomy, physics, chemistry, genetics, botany and medicine, are elected to The Royal Society Fellowship. It is the world’s oldest scientific academy, founded in 1660 by King Charles II.

Interviews
To arrange an interview with Professor Alessi, please call the MRC Protein Phosphorylation Unit on 01382 388058 or 01382 384238.

Photographs
Electronic images of Professor Alessi are available from Pauline Mullin, MRC Regional Communication Manager, Scotland (p.mullin@hrsu.mrc.ac.uk) and from the University of Dundee Press Office (contact details below)

The University of Dundee is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in life sciences and medical research with exceptional strengths in cancer, diabetes and tropical diseases. The College of Life Sciences at Dundee, in which the Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation Unit is embedded, received the highest 5* rating for its research at the last UK Research Assessment Exercise, as did the University of Dundee's medical school. The College of Life Sciences at Dundee was recently selected for the new Scottish Institute for Cell Signalling. See www.dundee.ac.uk for further details.

The Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation Unit aims to advance our understanding of the role of protein phosphorylation (a control mechanism that regulates most aspects of cell life) in cell regulation and human disease to facilitate the development of drugs to treat diseases caused by abnormalities in this process. (www.dundee.ac.uk/lifesciences/mrcppu/).

The Medical Research Council is dedicated to improving human health through excellent science. It invests on behalf of the UK taxpayer. Its work ranges from molecular level science to public health research, carried out in universities, hospitals and a network of its own units and institutes. The MRC liaises with the Health Departments, the National Health Service and industry to take account of the public’s needs. The results have led to some of the most significant discoveries in medical science and benefited the health and wealth of millions of people in the UK and around the world. (www.mrc.ac.uk).

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