“By creating we think, by living we learn” Patrick Geddes
The Division of Medicine is a multidisciplinary unit, the aims and objective of which are to provide optimal undergraduate clinical teaching, postgraduate teaching and also quality research in various specialties of medicine. In addition, the clinicians of the division provide specialist clinical services to the Tayside University Hospitals NHS Trust both in General Medicine and in their own specialties. The research activities of the different sections are supported by the various standard granting bodies in the UK, medical charities and the pharmaceutical industry. Approximately £8 million has been raised from these sources in the past five years.
The aim of this multidisciplinary section is to identify and evaluate strategies with the potential to prevent or postpone the onset of disability in later life using interventions based on physical activity and nutrition. A more recent area of research development is heart failure in later life exploring tolerability and efficacy of both drug and non-drug treatments, determinants of adherence and the validation of outcome measures for older people with heart failure. Excellent opportunities exist for clinical research-based postgraduate studies (MSc, MD, PhD) for talented clinicians from a range of professional backgrounds.
The Centre for Public Health Nutrition Research is a unique multi-disciplinary UK research centre which provides a multi-disciplinary focus for research and teaching on diet and nutrition between medical, social, behavioural and biological scientists. There are excellent facilities for research projects on topics related to Public Health Nutrition including intervention trials. The centre also hosts the Obesity Research Group.
The main areas of expertise are:
Centre staff have been closely involved with the development and evaluation of food and nutrition policy through committee and consultation work. This work has been carried out with UK and international agencies, for example the English, Scottish and Welsh Departments of Health, the UK Food Standards Agencies (UK, English, Scottish and Welsh) and the UICC.
This is an active research unit which takes a global overview of cardiovascular disorders. It is part of The Institute of Cardiovascular Research (TICR) which is currently the focus of a £3.5 million public fund-raising appeal.
The Unit is built on three sub-sections, each led by a non-clinical scientist under the direction of an academic clinician:
The Unit has an established research track record with over £6 million in grants over the last 10 years. There is an enviable link between academic clinicians and basic scientists, allowing the training in many different techniques related to cardiovascular research ranging from patient-orientated examinations down through the vascular biology of endothelial cell function and thrombosis to the genetics of cardiovascular disease. There are opportunities to learn clinical trial design of cohort studies and statistical analyses techniques. A further strength is the broad base of clinical speciality that is involved in the grouping with links to cardiology, vascular surgeons, nutritionists, neurologists and geriatricians. The Unit provides a background training in research in the cardiovascular area applicable to most medical specialties which has proven exceedingly popular with potential MD/PhD students. During the last ten years, the Unit has supervised 24 postgraduate degrees.
The recently-formed TICR Forum for Evidence Based Medicine covers a number of cardiovascular themes and is an excellent opportunity for cardiovascular trainees, especially those pursuing higher degrees within medicine and therapeutics, to broaden their knowledge, gain experience of scientific presentation and develop critical appraisal skills. These are important transferrable skills for those studying a Master's or Doctoral degree and trainee participants are awarded a certificate for taking part in the Forum.
Main research interests are physical activity and exercise in old age; nutritional intervention studies; the prevention of falls in old age and heart failure in later life.
Current research studies can be categorised under the following themes:
Current diet and health recommendations can only be fully implemented when consumers are able and willing to engage in appropriate dietary behaviours.
The contribution of nutrition to inequalities in health has been well described and for many socially disadvantaged families, attaining a healthy varied diet is restricted by practical issues.
Measuring dietary intake is vital to the understanding of the relationship of diet to health and to assessing the impact of dietary interventions. However accurate measurement of what people eat and how this is worked out in terms of nutritional terms can be problematic.
Notable in relation to dietary intake and markers of vascular function.
In addition to the taught MSc programmes, enquiries relating to PhD and MSc by research are most welcome.
For further information contact Professor Annie Anderson, Director of Centre for Public Health Nutrition Research, Tel: +44 (0)1382 496442. Email a.s.anderson@dundee.ac.uk.
Diabetes Mellitus is a major research theme of the University of Dundee that spans from the Life Sciences to the Community. Professor Andrew Morris co-ordinates a collaborative research programme that looks at health informatics of diabetes (DARTS/MEMO Collaboration), the clinical epidemiology of diabetes and genetic epidemiology of diabetes (with the Biomedical Research Centre). The Medical School in collaboration with Tayside University Hospital NHS Trust, hosts the £2 million development of SCI-DC, the national diabetes computing system for Scotland. The cardiovascular implications of diabetes are being explored in collaboration with The Institute of Cardiovascular Research.
See profile above.
Professor Annie S Anderson BSc, PhD, SRD
Professor J J F Belch MD, FRCP, FICA
Professor M E T McMurdo MD, FRCPE, FRCP, FIBiol
Professor A D Morris MSc, MD, FRCPE
R C Roberts MA, DPhil, FRCPE
Name: Professor Marion E T McMurdo MD, FRCPE, FRCP, FIBiol
Tel: 01382 632 436 / +44 1382 632 436
Fax: 01382 660 675 / +44 1382 660 675
Email: m.e.t.mcmurdo@dundee.ac.uk
Website: Visit the Academic Section of Ageing and Health website
Name: Dr Wendy Wrieden
Tel: 01382 496 441 / +44 1382 496 441
Fax: 01382 496 452 / +44 1382 496 452
Email: w.l.wrieden@dundee.ac.uk
Website: Visit the Centre for Public Health Nutrition Research website
Name: Professor A D Morris
Tel: 01382 632 456 / +44 1382 632 456
Fax: 01382 660 675 / +44 1382 660 675
Email: a.d.morris@dundee.ac.uk
Website: Visit the Diabetes Research website
Name: Professor J J F Belch
Tel: 01382 632 446 / +44 1382 632 446
Fax: 01382 632 333 / +44 1382 632 333
Email: j.j.f.belch@dundee.ac.uk
Website: Visit the Vascular Disease Research website
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