A fundraising ceilidh has raised almost eight thousand pounds for breast cancer research here in Aberdeen.
Colleagues, patients, relatives and friends from the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian danced the night away at the Aberdeen Altens Hotel where they raised seven thousand, nine hundred and forty-nine pounds. All of which will be used to fund research in Aberdeen.
NHS Grampian consultant breast surgeon Beatrix Elsberger and her team of volunteers were inspired to arrange the event to bring local people together to help fund breast cancer research.
Beatrix explained: “One in seven people will develop breast cancer at some point in their lifetime and one in two of us will develop some kind of cancer. The funds raised will be put into local breast cancer research which is ongoing and very active, supported by postgraduate students as well as the clinical team and our North-East Scotland Breast Cancer patients.”
Professor Valerie Speirs, Chair in Molecular Oncology at the University, runs a research laboratory dedicated to studying breast cancer. She helped establish the national Breast Cancer Now Tissue Bank and co-leads the Aberdeen Cancer Centre. The total amount of the raised money will go towards two ongoing projects - one investigating the influence of fat tissue in breast cancer development, the other looking into markers which could determine outcome of male breast cancer.
Working together with Beatrix on the event, Valerie commented: “Our bench to bedside approach aims to translate new laboratory findings into the clinic with the goal of directly improving patient outcomes.
“Aberdeen has an impressive history of delivering world-leading research and we’re always keen to promote opportunities to join both clinical and research work here in the North-east.
“This event was fantastic and gave us an opportunity to have a social get-together outside work whilst raising funds to help fight breast cancer here and now.”
ENDS