18 July 2005

Diabetes UK donation

The Dundee branch of Diabetes UK will present a cheque worth £5000 to the University of Dundee's Dr Calum Sutherland to further research into diabetes, on Tuesday 19 July at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.

As part of the Dundee Diabetes Research Centre, Dr Sutherland's laboratory will use the money to clarify how insulin controls blood glucose levels. This process is defective in 90% of people with diabetes so discovering how insulin works is a crucial step to an understanding of what goes wrong to produce diabetes.

Dr Sutherland said, "This amazing fundraising effort by local people is warmly appreciated by everyone involved in diabetes research in Dundee, and I am honoured that they have chosen my laboratory to receive the donation."

Members of the Dundee Diabetes UK branch and a representative from the Diabetes UK national headquarters will also visit the diabetes research laboratories to see first hand the type of research their fundraising helps maintain.

There are around 150,000 people in Scotland with diabetes and it is estimated that there is another 90,000 who have diabetes but don't yet know it, diabetes is a serious condition and if not controlled can lead to heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and blindness.

Diabetes UK is the largest charity devoted to the care and treatment of diabetes and campaigns for the rights of people with diabetes. Diabetes UK is also one of the largest funders of diabetes research.

For further information please contact Dr Calum Sutherland on 01382 632507

By Angela Durcan, Press Officer 01382 344768, out of hours: 07968298585, a.durcan@dundee.ac.uk