9 November 2009

Cycling Dundee family raise £515 for Alzheimer's Research

Photo opportunity: 12.30pm on Thursday, November 12th. Wullie Tracey, his son Billy and nephew Connor McInearney will be presenting the cheque to Professor David Balfour, co-ordinator of East Central Scotland ART Network Centre, outside Lecture Theatre 1 at the Medical School, Ninewells Hospital

The marathon efforts of three bicycling members of a Dundee family have led to them raising £515 for a University of Dundee-based Alzheimer’s disease research centre.

Wullie Tracey, of Langshaw Road, took to his bike and completed the 26-mile charity Cyclathon around Dundee in September alongside his son Billy (15) and his nephew Connor McInearney (13).

The trio will hand over the money to staff at the East Central Scotland ART Network Centre at 12.30pm on Thursday, November 12th. The Centre is housed in the Medical School at Ninewells Hospital, and is one of the Alzheimer’s Research Trust’s 15 centres of excellence for research in the UK.

Wullie’s late father suffered from Alzheimer's disease, a condition that Connor’s granddad now suffers from. Wullie has taken part in the Cyclathon several times in the past in aid of many different charities. He explained that the family’s experiences were why he and the two boys, both pupils at St Johns High School, decided to do their bit for this particular cause this time

'Having been through it with my dad, we know how devastating an illness Alzheimer’s is,' he said. 'My brother-in-law is now suffering from it as well, and because of this the three of us wanted to support Alzheimer’s research.'

'I strongly feel that this is something we should get behind, and hopefully other people will help to raise funds so we can give this cause the attention it deserves and do something about this terrible disease.'

'It was great to do the Cyclathon alongside my son and nephew and while I enjoyed it, it’s always a relief when it’s finished!'

The cheque will be presented to Professor David Balfour, co-ordinator of the Dundee centre, outside Lecture Theatre 1 at the Medical School.

Research projects currently being carried out at the Centre include:

• Exploring a potential link between Diabetes and Alzheimer’s disease.
• The role of social stress as a vulnerability factor for Alzheimer's disease.
• The possible role of the protein amyloid-beta alcohol dehydrogenase (ABAD) in Alzheimer’s disease.
• CIRCA: a multimedia reminiscence based system.

More information about the East Central Scotland ART Network Centre can be found at www.dundee.ac.uk/alzheimer/centre.htm.

For media enquiries contact:
Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
TEL: 01382 384768
E-MAIL: g.hill@dundee.ac.uk
MOBILE: 07854 953277