Thirty days of graft raises £40,000 for Parkinson’s research

The University’s 30 Days Challenge has raised over £40,000 after fundraisers cycled, ran, hula-hooped and baked their way through June for the cause.

The final tally demolished the initial £10,000 target set by organisers, with the event having captured the imagination of donors across the country, as well as television personality and former University Rector Lorraine Kelly.

Professor Dario Alessi, from the Medical Research Council Protein Phosphorylation and Ubiquitylation Unit, within the University’s School of Life Sciences, said, “This is an incredible achievement and on behalf of everyone at the University, I would like to thank those who have raised money to support our work.

“The funds raised by the 30 Days Challenge will allow our dedicated Parkinson’s research scientists to purchase state-of-the-art technology to help understand the disease in all its complexity. Our world-renowned experts are passionate and determined about improving treatments and outcomes for patients. These donations will help to advance our Parkinson’s research further and faster.

“Parkinson’s is a devastating condition and is one that has proven incredibly difficult for the scientific community to research. But with the commitment of everyone here, and the support of the public, I am confident that we can make strides in our work that will support our quest to learn more about and develop new treatments for this disease.”

Parkinson’s disease is a disabling neurodegenerative illness which has no cure and no way of being slowed down. The most successful drug to manage Parkinson’s – Levodopa - was developed 60 years ago, but since then there has been no major breakthrough in the management or treatment of the disease.  The University of Dundee is already a leading centre for Parkinson’s research, hosting world-renowned experts who are dedicated to improving our understanding of the condition.

Every week, 30 people in Scotland are diagnosed with Parkinson’s, which is why the University launched its 30 Days Challenge. Throughout June, people were asked to do something tiring, inspiring, relaxing, funny, or unique, to raise at least £120 for the Dundee Parkinson’s Research Campaign.

Parkinson’s research requires urgent investment into world class technologies and into new research teams with the flexibility to explore innovative avenues of discovery, as soon as they are revealed. By funding research at the University of Dundee, you could enable us to advance further and faster, so people with Parkinson’s don’t have to wait another 60 years for better diagnosis and treatments. You can make your donation here.