Improving the Health of the Nation

Medical Research Scotland aims to support medical research of the highest quality in Scotland. Its scope is unrestricted and will therefore support research into any disease. It awards grants for scientific research aimed at understanding the mechanisms and causes of all or any diseases and improving methods of their detection, prevention and treatment.

Medical Research Scotland supports research in universities and hospital-based research centres throughout Scotland. The links in the navigation panel on the left will take you to pages which list the people and projects in each of these centres which have recently received support. All current and recent grantholders are listed below. The Archive pages in the News & Publications section provide information about previously-supported research.

Current & Recent Grantholders

Dr Christine M. Dufes (Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences) and Professor Kevin Ryan (Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow), for the evaluation of systemic p73 gene therapy of cancer, using a novel transferring-targeted dendrimer.
Dr Nancy Sabatier (Centre for Integrative Physiology, University of Edinburgh) for an investigation of hypothalamic mechanisms in obesity.
Dr John A. Marwick (moving to Edinburgh from the National Hearth & Lung Institute, London) and Professor Adriano G. Rossi (MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh), to study the impact of oxidative stress and glucocorticoids on neutrophil function and macrophage clearance.
Dr Nial J. Wheate, Dr Oliver Sutcliffe & Professor David Flint (Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, Strathclyde University), for a three-year investigation of the mechanisms of folic acid-directed delivery of platinum(II)-based anticancer drugs using PAMAM dendrimers.
Dr Daniel Walker (Division of Infection & Immunity, Glasgow University), for a two-year study of the antimicrobial activity of novel protein antibiotics against Pseudomonas aeruginosa in the biofilm state.
Dr Pasquale Maffia & Dr James Brewer (Strathclyde Institute of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, Strathclyde University), for a two-year project on the visualisation of antigen presentation in models of atherosclerosis.
Dr Andrew J. Roe (Infection & Immunity) & Dr Richard Burchmore (Functional Genomics Facility), University of Glasgow, for an 19-month project aiming to find new ways of blocking the infectivity of Escherichia coli 0157
Dr David A. Ferenbach and Drs Jeremy Hughes & David Kluth (Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh, for a 12-month study of the role of selected cells in protecting against acute kidney failure following acute injury
Dr Joanna L. Parish (Bute Medical School, University of St Andrews), for a three-year X-ray crystallographic study of an enzyme required for normal cell division and also in persistent papillomavirus infection
Dr Hironori Ishizaki & Dr Elizabeth Patton (Edinburgh Cancer Centre, University of Edinburgh) for a three-year project aimed at improving understanding of the development of malignant melanoma
Dr Gareth B. Miles (School of Biology, University of St Andrews) for a three-year project to test the 'synaptic stripping' hypothesis for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), by an investigation of cholinergic synapses on motoneurones in ALS.
Dr Ada Delaney (Centre for Neuroscience Research, Royal [Dick] School of Veterinary Studies) and colleagues, Professor Susan M. Fleetwood-Walker (Centre for Neuroscience Research, Royal [Dick] School of Veterinary Studies), Dr Rory Mitchell (Centre for Integrative Physiology) Dr Lesley Colvin (Department of Anaesthesia, Critical Care & Pain Medicine, Western General Hospital) and Professor Marie Fallon (CRUK Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, Western General Hospital), all of the University of Edinburgh, for a two-year investigation aimed at gaining new insights into evidence-based pain management for cancer-induced bone pain.
Dr Andrew C. Stanfield and colleagues Professors Eve Johnstone & Stephen M. Lawrie (all of the Department of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh) and Professor Peter M. McKenna (Department of Psychological Medicine, University of Glasgow), over 30 months for aclinical, neuropsychological and MRI study comparing autism spectrum disorders and schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Dr James W. Dear, Clinical Pharmacology Unit, University of Edinburgh and colleagues Professor David Webb (Centre for Cardiovascular Science), Professor D. Nicholas Batemen (Scottish Poisons Information Bureau, Edinburgh Royal Infirmary), Dr Ian Marshall (Medical Physics Department, University of Edinburgh) & Dr Kenneth J. Simpson (Centre for Inflammation Research, University of Edinburgh) for an 18-month project for the characterisation of paracetamol-induced acute renal failure, using dendrimer-contrast magnetic resonance imaging.
Drs Mary Donaldson & Iain Morgan (Department of Pathological Sciences, University of Glasgow Veterinary School), over three years to investigate the potential of TopBP1 to be a therapeutic target for human papillomavirus infection.
Dr Shauna E. Culshaw, Centre for Biophotonics, University of Strathclyde and colleagues Professor Paul Garside, Dr John Girkin, Professor Gail McConnell & Dr James Brewer (all of the Centre for Biophotonics, University of Strathclyde), for a two-year project aimed at improving understanding of the basic mechanisms of the adaptive immune response to cariogenic bacteria in the oral cavity.
Dr Omar Albagha, Bone Research Group & Professor Stuart Ralston, Rheumatic Disease Unit, Molecular Medicine Centre, University of Edinburgh, for a two-year project on the identification of susceptibility gene(s) for osteoporosis in men on chromosome 10q21.
Dr Sharon Mitchell & Professor John Speakman, Department of Integrative Physiology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, for an 18-month project to investigate early onset of leptin insensitivity in response to high-fat diet.
Dr Anna Sutherland, Psychological Medicine, University of Glasgow, holds the 2007-09 Medical Research Scotland/Mrs Mary Tyson Research Fellowship for her project entitled: "Perceived interpersonal threat as a unifying psychological model in Cluster B personality disorder".
Dr Trevor John Bushell, Physiology & Pharmacology, University of Strathclyde, for a two-year project to determine the role of proteinase-activated receptor 2 upregulation in CNS neurones.
Dr Jenni Harvey, Neurosciences Institute, University of Dundee, for a two-year investigation into whether age-related decline in cognitive function is assocated with altered neuronal responsiveness to leptin.
Dr Christopher Michael Loughrey, Department of Cell Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine & Professor Godfrey Smith, Institute of Biomedical & Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, for a two-year investigation of the role of intracellular calcium in left ventricular diastolic dysfunction.
Dr Julie Calvert, Vision Sciences Department, Glasgow Caledonian University & Professor Gordon Neale Dutton, Royal Hospital for Sick Children, Glasgow, for a two-year project on the identification, characterisation and management of dorsal stream dysfunction in children.
Dr Marie-Astrid Pezze, Centre for Cognitive & Neural Systems, University of Edinburgh, holds the 2006-08 Medical Research Scotland/Mrs Jean V. Baxter Medical Research Fellowship for her project entitled: "Dopamine signalling from the ventral tegmental area to the hippocampus, novelty, and memory encoding: investigating the substrates of cognitive deficits in schizophrenia".
Dr Bridget M. Johnston, Cancer Care Research Centre, University of Stirling, holds the 2006-08 Medical Research Scotland/Mrs Mary Tyson Nursing, Midwifery & AHP Fellowship for her project entitled: "To explore the experience of patients and carers regarding end-of-life care through the promotion of self care".