Photo opportunity 11am, Friday 25 October, Wellcome Trust Biocentre, University of Dundee.
The pedal power of 12 cyclists from the University of Dundee has clocked up £1,117 for Cancer Research UK Scotland.
On 9 August, University Deputy Principal David Boxer, was among the team of cyclists from the School of Life Sciences on a two-day 170-mile trip from Dundee to Inverness via Braemar. The race was no go for co-ordinator of the event, David Marr, when he was knocked from his bike on the way to start-line at the Wellcome Trust Biocentre. David, janitor in the Biocentre and a veteran charity cyclist, sustained an injury to his leg and could not participate. Despite the set back, the cyclists continued with 8 of the 12 pedalling the 70 miles to Braemar and the other 4 continuing on to Inverness.
David and his cycling colleagues will present the proceeds from the race to Professor Julian Blow on behalf of Cancer Research UK Scotland tomorrow in the Wellcome Trust Biocentre.
Professor Blow, along with Professor Birgit Lane, is a leader of the Cancer Research UK Cooperative Centre that was created in Dundee in September 2001.
The Cancer Research UK Co-operative allows Dundee's 19 Cancer Research UK laboratories based in the Wellcome Trust Biocentre and at the Medical School in Ninewells Hospital to promote communication amongst the research teams. The Co-operative provides a practical route for developing closer collaborations between researchers, sharing results and applying knowledge from model systems in the human cell cycle field.
Professor Blow said, "David and his fellow cyclists undertook a tremendous fundraising cycle ride, and I'm delighted to accept their cheque on behalf of Cancer Research UK Scotland. Through fundraising campaigns like this, the monies raised helps scientists like myself do the basic research needed to understand and seek cures for cancer."
Professor Blow is Deputy Head of the Division of Gene Regulation and Expression in the School of Life Sciences and his research aim is to understand in detail the mechanisms that ensure precise duplication of chromosomal DNA, which may identify targets for anti-cancer drugs.
Cancer Research UK invests over £15 million annually in vital cancer research programmes in hospitals, universities and laboratories in Scotland. Centres in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow and St Andrews host a wide range of ongoing research projects.
Dorothy Rodger, Cancer Research UK Scotland Community Fundraiser, says:" We are very grateful to David and the team of cyclists for the hard work and energy they have put into raising this money for Cancer Research UK Scotland. It will help Cancer Research UK Scotland to find new ways of treating, curing and preventing cancer."
Contact Angela Nicoll 01382 348377
By Jenny Marra, Press Officer 01382 344910 j.m.marra@dundee.ac.uk