A multi-million pound research facility for leading University of Aberdeen scientists trying to find better treatments and cures for major diseases was officially being opened this morning (January 5) by HRH The Duchess of Rothesay.
Her Royal Highness was touring the £5.7 million state-of-the-art Health Sciences Building at Foresterhill in Aberdeen and meeting renowned researchers investigating a huge range of disorders which include bone diseases; Alzheimer’s and dementia; urological cancers; respiratory problems; and sports related injuries.
HRH The Duchess of Rothesay was hearing from researchers striving to prevent the tragedy of half a million women dying each year during pregnancy and childbirth in developing countries. Her Royal Highness was also meeting health psychologists as well as scientists who are investigating the best methods of health care.
Professor C Duncan Rice, Principal and Vice Chancellor, University of Aberdeen, was looking forward to welcoming Her Royal Highness. He said: “The University is honoured that Her Royal Highness is opening the Health Sciences Building and getting the opportunity to meet my most distinguished academic colleagues.
“This new building is a significant addition to our research facilities on the Foresterhill campus, which is now one of Europe’s major biomedical centres. It is another step towards completing the high quality facilities needed to support our ambition to become a research-led University of international distinction.”
HRH The Duchess of Rothesay was being welcomed to the University by Lord Wilson, Chancellor of the University, and the University’s Principal. Lord Wilson was then introducing Her Royal Highness to Professor Stephen Logan, University Senior Vice-Principal; Professor Hannaford, Director of the University’s Institute of Applied Health Sciences many of whose staff is based within the Health Sciences Building; and Professor David Reid, who is Head of the University’s Department of Medicine and Therapeutics, and also Director of the University’s Osteoporosis Research Unit, which is embedded in the Health Sciences Building.
Her Royal Highness was then being presented with a posy by four-year-old Erin Beagrie who attends the University’s Rocking Horse Nursery and is the daughter of Gwen Smith, College Registrar to the University’s College of Life Sciences and Medicine.
Professor David Reid - a world recognised expert in the field of osteoporosis - was then leading the Royal Party to one of the clinical rooms and showing Her Royal Highness, who is President of the National Osteoporosis Society, a new £90,000 high-tech imaging bone density scanner which was bought by local charity, the Grampian Osteoporosis Trust.
Professor Reid was also explaining how the new machine is helping progress the work of the Osteoporosis Research Unit, one of Europe’s top osteoporosis research groups.
The scanner is enhancing studies into how the shape and internal bone structure at the hip is helping to predict those who will have a hip fracture in the future.
It is also helping ongoing research into how the shape of the bones in the hip and knee predict those who will develop osteoarthritis, the most common type of arthritis afflicting the UK population.
Dr Helen MacDonald was also discussing her research which is investigating the benefits of fruit and vegetable consumption and vitamin D on bone health. Her Royal Highness was also meeting with the National Osteoporosis Society’s CEO, Clare Severgnini.
Professor Hannaford was then leading the Royal Party to the Neurosciences Suite where he was presenting Lawrence Whalley, Professor of Mental Health, to Her Royal Highness. Professor Whalley was to give an insight into his groundbreaking research into the ageing process, which he hopes will ultimately lead to personalised medicine to slow age related disorders like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.
Professor Whalley’s studies recently earned him and two collaborators the prestigious Margaret McLellan award, given by Tenovus Scotland for the best research in a given field in Scotland. Professor Whalley’s research is only possible thanks to the hundreds of volunteers from the North-east of Scotland who have assisted with his research. Four of those volunteers were also present at the visit.
The Royal Party was then being shown the equipment packed lab of the Applied Human Physiology Research Group, run by Dr Frank Bowser-Riley. Her Royal Highness was being shown a series of demonstrations on machines including:
• Kevin Watt PhD student on a leg press. Dr Akinori Nagano was monitoring the experiment which examines muscle activity and the control of balance which could potentially help the elderly and athletes.
• Dr Laura Mahady (Scottish over 45s 3000m champion) on a treadmill being monitored by Dr Aivaras Ratkevicius in an experiment which assesses the energy costs of running and the utilisation of carbohydrates and fat during exercise.
• Dr Michael Scholz on the dynamometer in an experiment being monitored by Dr Alison Jenkinson which investigates the effects of exercise and nutrition on muscle function. The work is important for furthering our understanding of the mechanism of muscle repair and could be used to help muscle injury and diseases where muscle function is impaired such as muscular dystrophy.
Her Royal Highness was then seeing a demonstration in the Environmental Climate Controlled Chamber where Claire Bolger, a PhD student, was to be on an exercise bike. Dr Pascale Kippelen was monitoring the experiment which aims to assess individuals with asthma and their response to exercise. Professor Jon Ayres, Head of Environmental and Occupational Medicine, was also explaining how the chamber is helping with research into the effects of air pollutants on the breathing ability of individuals with lung disease. He was also highlighting research from the department which has shown that diet may affect the chance of a pregnant women having an asthmatic child.
The Royal Party was then heading upstairs to meet various staffing groups:
• Urology – James N’Dow, Professor of Urology, who was discussing his team’s aims of positioning Aberdeen as a centre of excellence for research into urological cancers. Professor N’Dow also helped set up the charity UCAN: https://medserv.abdn.ac.uk/ucan/manage/menu/Home/
• Immpact – Professor Cairns Smith, Head of the University’s Public Health, was explaining about the high profile global research initiative, whose aim is to promote better health for mothers and mothers-to-be in developing countries. The objectives are closely linked with global efforts to meeting the Millenium Development Goals for 20015, especially those relating to maternal mortality reduction. http://www.abdn.ac.uk/immpact/index_site.php
• Health Services Research Unit (HSRU) – Professor Marion Campbell, Unit Director, was explaining about HSRU which is funded by the Scottish Executive Health Department and whose remit is to research the best ways to provide health care and to train those working in health services in research methods. The Unit is widely acknowledged as an international leader in its field and is renowned for leading large scale randomised trials – one of its recent ones found that osteoporotic fractures were not prevented in elderly people who routinely took calcium and vitamin D supplements; another evaluated the NHS treatments offered for obesity. http://www.abdn.ac.uk/hsru/
• Health Psychology – Dr Jill Francis was explaining about Health Psychology, which is the study of psychological and behavioural processes in health, illness and health care. Study areas include the preparation of patients for medical procedures, the effects of people’s beliefs and behaviours on disability, effects of stress on the cardiovascular system and using health psychology theory to develop and apply effective interventions enabling people to improve their health-related behaviours (for example increasing physical exercise and eating healthily). The group also researches factors affecting the behaviour and well-being of health care professionals. For example, stress in health care professionals is being investigated, as is the health professionals’ behaviour with respect to implementing evidence-based practice. http://www.abdn.ac.uk/healthpsychology/
Her Royal Highness was then being taken to a reception where guests were to include local dignitaries, stakeholders, and University staff and supporters. After a short speech, the University’s Principal was to invite Her Royal Highness to unveil a plaque and officially open the Health Sciences Building.
Professor Phil Hannaford who is also Chair of Primary Care, added: “The Health Sciences Building is an absolutely first class research facility which houses leading researchers who are making a real difference locally, nationally and globally in their respective health related fields.
“We hope that Her Royal Highness enjoys her visit to our new facility and gains a worthwhile insight to the invaluable research being undertaken within the Health Sciences building.”