MP to visit Dundee University scientists

Dundee West MP Jim McGovern will visit the University of Dundee’s medical school on Wednesday (December 21) as part of a pairing scheme aimed at building bridges between politicians and some of the UK’s top scientists.

Under the Royal Society’s Science in Society programme Mr McGovern has been paired with Dr Judith Sleeman at the University of Dundee’s division of pathology and neuroscience.

Dr Sleeman, a Royal Society University Research Fellow, who is working on the inherited neuro-degenerative disease Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), has already spent a week at Westminster shadowing the MP, sitting in on select committees and finding out how science policies and issues are handled at parliamentary level.

On Wednesday she will be helping Mr McGovern see things from a scientist’s point of view with a tour of laboratories at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School, demonstrations of work carried out and a series of meetings with top academics and key university staff.

"I know he wants to find out more about what we do so I’ll be showing him some experimental work and the research we carry out on a day to day basis," said Dr Sleeman.

"I hope he will find the visit as useful as I found the trip to Westminster. That was fascinating, very interesting and potentially very useful. I now know how to go about raising issues in Parliament, how to input into the appropriate channels and what contacts to use.

Dr Sleeman added that of the 25 MP scientist pairs in the programme almost a quarter represented Scottish constituencies.

"There is a lot of very good science going on in Scotland and I think it is encouraging that Scottish MPs are so interested in finding out more about science."

The Royal Society set up its Science in Society programme in 2000 to develop a widespread, innovative and effective system of dialogue with society and to involve society positively in influencing and sharing responsibility for policy on scientific matters.

The MP-Scientists Pairing Scheme was set up as part of the Science in Society programme in 2001. It aims to build bridges between some of the best research workers in the country and members of the UK parliament. To date over 80 scientists and MPs have taken part. The scheme comprises three activities: a briefing by the Royal Society, a week in Westminster, and reciprocal visits to the constituency office and the laboratory.

For more information on the scheme visit the Royal Society website at: Royal Society

Hilary McNally,
Press Office
Tel: 01382 344021,
Email: h.mcnally@dundee.ac.uk