16 October 2008

Capital letters bring multi-million pound joy to Scottish Universities

Two of Scotland's leading universities have received multi-million pound awards to help create new, internationally-competitive research facilities under the Wellcome Trust's Capital Awards in Biomedical Sciences initiative.

Launched in 2007, the £30 million initiative provides funding of over £1 million to successful applicants for large scale projects - either new builds or refurbishments - in partnership with the host institution. The scheme is intended to facilitate leading-edge biomedical research that would not otherwise have been possible.

'Researchers need the best facilities and most up-to-date technology in order to carry out world class research,' says Dr Mark Walport, Director of the Wellcome Trust. 'The Capital Awards will provide the necessary infrastructure for some of the best scientists in the UK.'

Professor James Naismith from the University of St Andrews has received £5 million which will be used to establish a facility which will lead the fight against superbugs, parasites and deadly viruses. The state of the art facility will lead in the study of emerging serious viral, bacterial and parasitic diseases such as rift valley fever, C. difficile and malaria.

Professor Naismith comments: 'Our aim is to improve human health, not just in Scotland, but across the world, by tackling these emerging pathogenic diseases. This contribution from the Wellcome Trust is the first step to realising this vision. Over twenty group leaders made this possible - this award recognises their and their teams’ outstanding contributions to biomedical science and what they will deliver in the future.'

Professor Irene Leigh at the University of Dundee, is the recipient of £3.5 million to develop a Centre for Molecular Medicine. The centre, to be based at Ninewells Hospital, will operate at the interface between basic and clinical science and will be sited on the top floor of the university's recently opened Clinical Research Centre. The award complements recent funding success for the university including the new Wellcome Trust Centre for Gene Regulation and Expression.

'This is a key grant for us in that it allows us to build another link in the chain of excellence in Dundee leading from laboratory-based research to clinical practice," says Professor Leigh. "This area of translational medicine is increasingly important and the support of the Wellcome Trust in establishing this Centre for Molecular Medicine only adds to our capability to deliver exciting results.'

The other recipients of the Capital Awards are:

Recipient: Professor Brian Sutton, King's College London
Award: £1.7 million
Title of project: Centre for Biomolecular Spectroscopy

Recipient: Professor Jennifer Kirkham, University of Leeds
Award: £1.1 million
Title of project: Clinical and translational research unit at Leeds Dental Institute

Recipient: Professor Mike Barer, University of Leicester
Award: £3.9 million
Title of project: Faculty of Medicine and Biological Sciences Central Research Facility

Recipient: Professor Janet Hemingway, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine
Award: £2 million
Title of project: Fourth floor of new centre for tropical infectious disease; refurbishment of part of the existing LSTM building

Recipient: Professor Jeff Errington, University of Newcastle
Award: £6 million
Title of project: Bacterial Cell Biology Building

Recipient: Professor Nicholas Rawlins, University of Oxford
Award: £2.1 million
Title of project: Divisional Centre for Behavioural and Systems Neuroscience

Recipient: Professor Ed Watkins, University of Exeter
Award: £3.6 million
Title of project: Improving psychological interventions for mood and personality disorders: a translational research approach

Contact
Craig Brierley
Media Officer
The Wellcome Trust
T: 020 7611 7329
E: c.brierley@wellcome.ac.uk.

Notes for editors
1. The Wellcome Trust is the largest charity in the UK. It funds innovative biomedical research, in the UK and internationally, spending around £600 million each year to support the brightest scientists with the best ideas. The Wellcome Trust supports public debate about biomedical research and its impact on health and wellbeing. http://www.wellcome.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