10 February 2011

Diabetes UK leaders visit Dundee

Photo opportunity - 12.45 pm, Friday February 11th
Clinical Research Centre, Ninewells Hospital
Diabetes UK delegation visiting research laboratories

Senior figures from the UK's leading diabetes charity will visit the University of Dundee on Friday February 11th to see first-hand the range of cutting-edge research and clinical care being carried out in Tayside.

The Diabetes UK delegation visiting the University will include Barbara Young, Chief Executive, Professor Sir George Alberti, Chairman of Trustees, and Dr Iain Frame, Director of Research.

They will visit the University’s School of Medicine and the College of Life Sciences. The University is internationally recognised as a major centre of research into diabetes and hosts over 25 research teams investigating the condition. A close partnership with NHS Tayside has helped develop first-class projects such as the Clinical Network for Diabetes.

There are over 3.5 million people in the UK with diabetes and the numbers could increase to 5 million by 2025. Diabetes is a serious condition which can lead to devastating complications such as heart disease, kidney failure, blindness and amputation.

Much of the work carried out at Dundee is funded by Diabetes UK.

'We are delighted to welcome Diabetes UK to Dundee and show them the wide range of excellent research and clinical care that we have here in Tayside,” said Professor Andrew Morris, Director of the Biomedical Research Institute at Dundee and one of Scotland’s leading clinicians in diabetes.

Barbara Young, Chief Executive at Diabetes UK, said, 'We invest heavily in Dundee and consider it a centre of excellence for diabetes research. Diabetes UK committed over £930,000 in research funding at the University in 2010 alone, bringing our total investment to over £1.9 million in the last few years.

'Diabetes is one of the biggest health challenges facing the UK. Therefore, I look forward to seeing, at first hand, the cutting edge research and meeting the scientists who could have a huge impact on improving the lives of people with diabetes.'

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
MOBILE: 07800 581902