Photo opportunity 11.45am, Friday 7 March, School of Medicine, level 7, Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.
TV presenter Lorraine Kelly will return to her home city of Dundee this week to officially open the first completed phase of The Institute of Cardiovascular Research (TICR) at the University of Dundee.
Lorraine, who is Patron of the TICR committee, will meet clinicians and patients from TICR and officially open the new suite of rooms for research on Friday 7 March at 11.45am. She will celebrate the staggering £1.6 million raised by the committee with clinicians and fundraisers.
She said: "I am delighted to be at the University of Dundee to open the first phase of this world class institute in Tayside. Heart disease is Scotland's number one problem. Clinicians need to have the facilities and equipment in order to fight this killer disease. The Institute of Cardiovascular Research is leading the way in bringing these researchers from different fields in heart medicine together with patients to find clinical and preventative solutions."
TICR will bring together on one site, skilful clinicians and researchers from all areas of the University of Dundee's Medical School who have a special interest in the prevention and treatment of heart disease. The clinical research rooms will allow interaction between research staff and patients. TICR is the first institute of its kind in Scotland bringing together experts from different fields to tackle heart disease.
The TICR fundraising committee has now raised £1.6 million and is on track to reach its 3.2 million target.
Robert McLaren, Chairman of the TICR fundraising committee said: Today is a landmark for the TICR appeal raising £1.6 million towards our target of £3.5 million and the opening of the first phase of the institute - the clinical research rooms. Our research here at the University of Dundee will benefit not just people within the local region but people all over the country as our discoveries and advances in heart disease become touchstones for the medical profession. To deliver this our researchers need up to date facilities and modern equipment."
By Jenny Marra, Press Officer 01382 344910 j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk