Photo opportunity: 11.30am, Friday 19 April, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee
A video to explain the scientific research carried out within the Wellcome Trust Biocentre at the University of Dundee is to receive its first public showing on Friday, 19 April.
The Wellcome Trust Biocentre has produced a video to enhance public awareness of biomedical sciences in Scotland. The video describes the exciting and cutting edge medical research carried out at the University of Dundee in terms that are accessible to a general, non-specialist audience.
The major goals of the Biocentre are to understand the causes for many diseases and conditions including allergies, arthritis, cancer, diabetes, genetic disorders, heart disease, skin diseases, hypertension and stroke, as well as tropical diseases such as malaria and sleeping sickness. Some of this work has now reached the stage where it can be exploited to produce improved drugs to treat these diseases. The video shows the excellent business environment for biotechnology companies that has grown in Dundee around the academic research.
The official launch and first public viewing of the video will take place at 11 am on Friday, 19 April, in front of an invited audience of 5th and 6th year secondary school pupils from Baldragon Academy, Grove Academy and Monifieth High School. After the video the pupils will be given a tour of the Biocentre and lunch.
The production of the video has been made possible with the financial assistant of Scottish Enterprise Tayside and the generous support of Sir Philip Cohen. With the aid of a grant received from The British Biochemical Society, all secondary schools in Scotland have been sent a copy of the video.
The production of the video was co-ordinated by Professor Angus Lamond and Dr Alan Prescott. Professor Lamond said "Communication is a vital part of scientific research and it is very important that scientists learn to explain clearly to non-specialists about what they are doing and the benefits that their work can bring to the public. We hope that this video will be a positive step towards improving the public awareness of what is now being achieved in biomedical sciences and that it may interest young people throughout the country in considering future careers in this area."
The Wellcome Trust Biocentre at the University of Dundee in Tayside, opened in 1997 and is one of the world's leading institutes for biomedical research, comprising over 450 scientists from 48 different countries working in over 50 research teams./ENDS
Notes for Editors
For further information on the video or about the Dundee Biocentre,
contact - Angela Nicoll or visit our website at www. dundee.ac.uk/biocentre/