News

Top award for Durham Scientist

(18 December 2002)

The award of a prestigious research grant to Cell Biologist, Professor Roy Quinlan demonstrates the University of Durham's growing international reputation in Biomedical Sciences.

Professor Quinlan has the rare distinction of being a non-US national to be included in an award from the US National Institute of Health. As a member of a consortium of researchers looking into the rare brain condition Alexander Disease, his Durham team is to receive $0.5m of the $4m total award.

Sir Kenneth Calman, Vice-Chancellor of the University, said:

"The University is tremendously proud to have people of world-class quality at the heart of its research community. We congratulate Professor Quinlan on this achievement and wish his team continued success in their work."

It was Professor Quinlan's particular expertise in cell and structural biology that was important to the consortium. The project will make important contributions to one of the last great frontiers of modern science - understanding the human brain.

Professor Quinlan has several research programmes that are investigating those components that give form and function to cells - namely the skeleton of the cell, called the cytoskeleton. In Alexander Disease, brain function is lost because this structural support is lost. The project will yield important new insights into the brain and how it is made and organised as an important step to treat degenerative brain diseases.

Research at the Department of Biological and Biomedical Sciences was awarded a prestigious grade 5 in the last Higher Education Funding Council research ratings, which is awarded for research that is predominantly world-class.