World-leading Research

Exciting, innovative and frequently world-leading research into a wide range of disciplines - life sciences, medical sciences, art and design, space technology, law, the humanities, computing and many others - takes place at Dundee, with a number of pioneering postgraduate programmes allowing graduates to take the next step towards a research career on offer.

This research excellence bolsters the University's international reputation and enhances the value of a degree from Dundee.

Our research strengths include:

• Being ranked 1st in the UK for the impact of our scientific research (The Guardian and Thomson Scientific Index), with groundbreaking medical research into diabetes, cancer and neuroscience.
• The results of the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) showing that 54% of the University's research is achieving 'world leading' or 'internationally excellent' standards.
• The RAE showing that the University is top in Scotland for civil engineering and biological and laboratory-based clinical sciences, all of which were among the top performers in the UK.
• The RAE results also underlining the position of Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design as the pre-eminent art school in Scotland and places it as one of the best art schools in the UK.
• Our medical and life sciences research being world renowned, with particular expertise in cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neglected tropical diseases.
• World-leading researchers developing the SpaceWire standard, used by space organisations across the world.
• The University being recognised as a world leader in the field of diabetes research. Work at the University is being carried out on almost every aspect of the disease from the cell to the community. Professor Andrew Morris, Scotland's leading diabetes clinician and Chief Scientist for Health at the Scottish Government, is based at the University.
• The Drug Discovery Unit is involved in the development of new drugs to treat some of the world's most neglected tropical diseases, such as Chagas disease, African sleeping sickness and leishmaniasis, which affect millions of the world's poorest people and attract little or no interest from pharmaceutical companies. The Unit was described by ex-Prime Minister Gordon Brown as "truly pathbreaking" and is the recipient of one of the Wellcome Trust's largest ever grants.
• The Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification using state-of-the-art forensic science techniques and facial reconstruction to generate images and models from human remains. Most recently the team was the focus of the BBC 2 four-part series History Cold Case where they also used historical detective work to build a picture of a man's life and death, giving him his face back for the first time in 800 years.
• Our mathematics and medical researchers using mathematical modelling to gain better understanding into cancer development and treatment.
• Researchers in the Centre for Environmental Change and Human Resilience (CECHR) working on a number of projects including assessing climate change and impacts on the quality and quantity of water, and considering models of decentralised electricity supplies
• The Division of Plant Sciences researching a process called 'alternative splicing' which could have implications for our understanding of how plants and crops adapt to climate change.