University campaign welcomes major coronavirus campaign donation

A University of Dundee campaign to fund research into coronaviruses has received a significant donation from a Scottish charitable trust. 

The contribution from the Northwood Charitable Trust, the associated charity of the Thomson family, will support scientists within the University’s Schools of Life Sciences and Medicine, who are undertaking valuable research to reveal the secrets of Covid-19 and contribute to vaccines and therapies for those affected by the disease. 

Professor Inke Nathke, Interim Dean, School of Life Sciences, said, “We are very grateful to the Northwood Charitable Trust for this generous donation. 

“Here at Dundee we have a wealth of expertise contributing to research that is helping us to understand Covid-19. By providing our experts with valuable funds, they have the ability to adapt research ideas and concepts quickly, a huge advantage as we seek to improve outcomes for those affected by this disease. 

“Covid-19 is causing tremendous disruption around the world right now, but we must also recognise it will not be the last coronavirus that we face. That is why research into coronaviruses has never been more important and donations such as this are so valuable.” 

Professor James Chalmers, Professor of Respiratory Medicine and a frontline clinician caring for Covid patients at the School of Medicine, said, “This pandemic has shown that as well as tackling Covid-19, we must also prepare for a future second wave or other threats from lung infections in the future. 

“By supporting our scientists now, we can utilise their skills to help identify and produce drugs to help us tackle future coronaviruses. But to make progress we need funding and that is why the support of the public is absolutely crucial.” 

As society takes small careful steps to recover and return to some kind of normality, our science cannot stand still. Your donation, whatever its size, will help ongoing research - the results of which will have a long-lasting impact on the health and well-being of our communities. We must ensure we never have to endure the painful separation from loved ones and sacrifice of our day-to-day lives again as we have seen in the current pandemic. 

Anyone who wishes to make a donation and support coronavirus research at the University of Dundee can do so here.