Leading Scientists Win Prestigious Awards

Two University of Dundee scientists are amongst others recognised this year for their contributions to research. Professor Kate Storey has been appointed one of 19 new Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award holders which will provide five-year’s support for continuation of ground-breaking work. Jointly funded by the Wolfson Foundation and the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS), the scheme helps outstanding researchers attract science talent from overseas and retain respected UK scientists of outstanding achievement and potential.

Professor Storey is Chair of Neural Development and Head of Cell & Developmental Biology at the University of Dundee. Research in her laboratory is focused on investigating how cells become different from each other during embryonic development, particularly neural cells in the developing spinal cord.

 “The overall aim of our work is to identify the gene regulatory mechanisms that control neural differentiation, with a long term goal to inform strategies for therapeutic treatment of neural injury and disease.”

The Royal Society Wolfson Research Merit Award covers all areas of the life and physical sciences, including engineering, but excluding clinical medicine.

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The Buchanan Medal, presented “in recognition of distinguished contribution to the medical sciences generally” was presented to Irwin McLean, Professor of Human Genetics and Scientific Director of the Centre for Dermatology and Genetic Medicine at Dundee. He is a world renowned expert in the genetics of skin diseases and his research group has identified the causative genes for more than 20 human diseases.

Professor McLean said, “This is a tremendous honour for me personally, but also for the hard work and incredible successes of my research group, which has put us and the University of Dundee at the forefront of skin disease research.  I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my many tremendous colleagues across the Colleges of Life Sciences and Medicine for their help, guidance and support.”

“I also have to thank the many collaborators and patients who work with us. Without their participation we could not hope to make the advances we have in understanding debilitating skin diseases and, hopefully now, developing treatments for them.”

Professor McLean’s work is supported by a number of charities and trusts including the Wellcome Trust, Medical Research Council, DEBRA, PC Project and Fight for Sight.