250 scientists meet for the Scottish Translational Medicine Investigators Conference

Scientists from across Scotland and from US pharmaceutical company, Wyeth, will gather in Dundee today (April 19) and tomorrow as the Translational Medicine Research Collaboration (TMRC) moves into its second year.

The two-day event will include plenary lectures from many of Scotland’s most prominent medical researchers as well as a keynote address from the distinguished cardiovascular disease specialist, Professor Jean-Claude Tardiff of Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York.

The second day will include a number of workshops designed to focus the scientific partners on addressing key translational medicine issues around specific diseases. In total over 250 scientists from Scotland and Wyeth will take part in this now annual event.

Ttranslation of basic scientific and clinical research into new and effective drug discoveries. The main focus of the collaboration is the development of biomarkers and experimental systems to address the major challenges of innovative and safe drug discovery and development in the 21st century.

Frank Walsh Ph.D., Executive Vice President of Discovery Research at Wyeth said, "Ongoing research has furnished us with new generations of drug targets and therapeutic agents. To assist in the development of these agents we are embracing the evolving discipline of Translational Medicine. Partnerships such as the Scottish TMRC are critical to the successful development of novel therapeutic agents as well as diagnostic tests as we truly move into the world of personalized medicine."

Professor Michael Greaves from the University of Aberdeen and chair of the Science Symposium added, "Already the Collaboration is proving to be successful in bringing together clinicians and scientists from across Scotland and a major pharmaceutical company, all with the common aim of developing improved treatments for patients. A large number of innovative research projects are underway. The symposium and workshops will provide an excellent forum at which a further portfolio of scientific studies will be developed which take advantage of the international quality clinical research expertise available in Scotland."