Major cancer research cash boost

Up to 100 jobs are to be created at Dundee University as part of a massive investment in cancer research.

An extra £6m will be spent expanding the biomedical research base, which is already one of the largest in the UK.

The cash boost will result in new laboratories for two of the world’s leading cancer scientists.

Husband and wife, David and Birgit Lane, will lead the university’s division of molecular medicine when they return from sabbatical.

Professor Sir David said he and his wife were looking forward to returning from Singapore in 2008 to Dundee University.

He said: "This is yet another exciting development for Dundee, and it is great to be coming back here as the medical research base at the University continues to move from strength to strength.

We are vigorously pursuing a recruitment programme to add to the range of worldclass researchers and staff we have here in Dundee
Professor Pete Downes
Dundee University VicePrincipal

"This is the ideal place to be if you are doing this kind of research."

The university expects the division to generate up to £10m of additional research income over the next five years and up to 100 new jobs.

The investment has been made possible by a £2m grant from the Wolfson Foundation and additional funding from Scottish Enterprise Tayside.

Dundee University’s viceprincipal said when completed, the Life Sciences complex would be home to one of the largest singlesite research bases in the UK.

Professor Pete Downes said: "This further development of life sciences at Dundee gives us one of the most intensive research environments in the UK.

"We are vigorously pursuing a recruitment programme to add to the range of worldclass researchers and staff we have here in Dundee.

"We have created this major research complex in the space of only a decade, firmly establishing Dundee as an international centre for life science