The campaign to build a centre of excellence for research in diabetes and tropical disease at the University of Dundee has received a tremendous start to the New Year with a £25,000 donation from the local charitable trust, The Mathew Trust.
Sir Philip Cohen, Director of the Wellcome Trust Biocentre said "We are delighted to receive this generous donation from The Mathew Trust which will support training projects for both postgraduate and honours students. The Centre for Inter-disciplinary Research will not only facilitate the development of improved drugs to treat diseases especially diabetes and global parasitic diseases, such as malaria, but will also train many students in these areas.
About 50 postgraduate students will undergo research training in the building leading to a PhD qualification, while undergraduate students enrolled in our new degree programme in Pharmaceutical Chemistry will carry out their final year research projects within the new building. Well trained students with both BSc and PhD qualifications in these areas are needed to support the growing biotechnology sector in Tayside and other areas of Scotland."
Notes for Editors
The campaign, launched by actor and Dundonian, Brian Cox, in April 2003, aims to raise the final £4m to build the Centre which will be adjacent to world famous Wellcome Trust Biocentre.
The new Centre - scheduled to be completed by mid-2005 - will house 260 scientists, 70 of whom will be working to understand the causes of diabetes and how to develop improved treatments. Diabetes affects more than 12,000 people in Tayside and nearly 2 million people in the UK. Diabetes is a major epidemic of the developed world. It is anticipated that by 2015 more than 7% of the UK population will be affected by diabetes and treating its long term complications will take up 20% of the NHS budget.
The aims of The Mathew Trust are to assist with funding for the advancement of education of adults in Tayside; advancement of vocational and professional training and re-training; relief of poverty by providing assistance in the recruitment of those unemployed or likely to become unemployed.
By Jenny Marra, Head of Press 01382 344910, out of hours: 07968298585, j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk