Our research in Dundee
Cancer Research UK funds a wide range of research in Dundee. Our scientists are looking into the fundamental processes that allow cells to develop into cancer, and are investigating the causes of bowel and skin cancer.
Dundee is also the home of one of our Cancer Research UK Centres, the first in Scotland. In particular, the Dundee Centre will drive research progress in bowel, breast and skin cancers. Cancer Research UK will increase its contribution to research in Dundee to over £7.5 million a year to help develop the Centre. This exciting initiative draws together world-class research and medical expertise to provide the best possible results for cancer patients across Scotland.
Watch our researchers talk about the impact the Centre will have on cancer research in Dundee:
Below are some of the highlights of our research in Dundee, or you can find out more in our leaflet covering our work in Tayside and North East Fife (pdf download).
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Bowel cancer
Prof Inke Näthke
Cell and Developmental Biology
University of Dundee, Dundee
The role of APC in bowel cancer
Professor Inke Näthke, based at the University of Dundee, is investigating a gene called APC, which is faulty in many cases of bowel cancer. Professor Näthke is particularly interested in the role of APC in cell movement and cell division because these important processes are disrupted in cancer cells.
No specific cancer type
Prof Julian Blow
Division of Gene Regulation and Expression
University of Dundee, Dundee
How do cells copy their DNA accurately?
Professor Julian Blow at the University of Dundee is investigating how cells copy their DNA accurately. Each time a cell divides in two, it must make an exact copy of its DNA so that each daughter cell can inherit a complete set of cell instructions. If this process is faulty, mutations start to appear in the DNA and these can lead to cancer.
Prof Ronald Hay
School of Life Sciences
University of Dundee, Dundee
What do SUMOs do in cells?
Professor Ronald Hay and his team at the University of Dundee are looking inside cells to find out what goes wrong in cancer. They are studying a group of proteins called SUMOs that latch onto other proteins and change their behaviour.
Prof David Lane
Cancer Research UK Cell Transformation Research Group and Department of Surgery and Molecular Oncology
University of Dundee, Dundee
Using molecular knowledge of cancer to develop new treatments
Professor Sir David Lane is one of the world's leading cancer researchers, and was Cancer Research UK's first Chief Scientist from 2007 until 2010. His work has been funded by the charity for more than 30 years, and in 1979 he discovered the p53 protein, which plays a central role in preventing cancer. He and his team are now investigating ways to turn our knowledge about the molecules involved in cancer - including p53 - into life-saving treatments for the disease. Professor Lane has won many international prizes and awards for his outstanding work in this field.
Professor David Lilley
Nucleic Acid Structure Research Group
University of Dundee, Dundee
DNA repair: the first line of defence against cancer
Professor David Lilley is investigating how cells repair their DNA when it gets damaged. DNA repair is crucial for preventing genetic faults that can lead to cancer. Professor Lilley leads a world-class group of scientists at the University of Dundee, and their research into the processes at the heart of cancer will pave the way for new approaches to treating the disease.
Prof Roland Wolf
Cancer Research UK Molecular Pharmacology Laboratory
University of Dundee, Dundee
How do our genes affect sensitivity to drugs and the environment?
Professor Roland Wolf directs the Biomedical Research Centre at the University of Dundee. His research focuses on families of proteins that protect our cells from carcinogens in the environment and the effects of radiation and chemotherapy.
Skin cancer
Prof Irene Leigh
Cancer Research UK Skin Tumour Laboratory
The University of Dundee, Ninewells Hospital & Medical School, Dundee
Understanding the development of skin cancer
Professor Irene Leigh is an expert in the biology and causes of non-melanoma skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the UK. Her work is uncovering how this cancer develops, leading to new ways to prevent and treat the disease.
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