Further £30 million, five-year funding boost from Medical Research Council

MRC PPU Building
MRC PPU Building

The government’s Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle, has announced a further five-year funding boost from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to continue our vital work.

We will receive nearly £30 million to support our 200-strong scientific community of staff and students, cutting-edge technology, and world-leading research to explore how signals transmitted within the body’s cells are disrupted.

Improving our understanding of these processes could be the key to unlocking the scientific basis of innovative treatments for a range of diseases - including Parkinson’s, Motor Neuron Disease (MND), Crohn’s, Coeliac disease and Cancer – potentially improving the lives of millions of people across the world.

The Science and Technology Secretary announced the funding at the Universities UK conference as he set out his vision for harnessing the power of higher education.

“The funding I am announcing today – supporting work that could eventually deliver treatments to cruel diseases like cancer and MND – underscores precisely how important our higher education sector is. This backing is just the start, of this Government’s plan to support our universities, as they play a crucial role themselves in our missions to rebuild the NHS, kickstart the economy, seize the potential of clean energy and to create opportunities for all.”

Science and Technology Secretary, Peter Kyle

— Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (@SciTechgovuk) September 5, 2024

“The work at the University of Dundee, which we are announcing support for today, is proof of how deep expertise, effective links with industry, and the power of curiosity can deliver meaningful improvements to people’s lives, while also driving economic growth across the UK.

This funding puts the unit on track to strive for still more health breakthroughs, that could help more patients live longer and healthier lives.”

Science Minister, Lord Vallance

Through industry collaboration, our Unit has been a fundamental part of the development and clinical approval of over 40 drugs that are now widely used to treat patients, attracting almost £60 million in investment.

Working with other companies, including GlaxoSmithKline, our team was central to developing a drug now widely used to treat melanoma, and a promising new Parkinson’s Disease drug in clinical trials.

“We are incredibly grateful for the long-term support that our Unit has received from the MRC over the last 34 years. This has enabled our researchers to tackle the most important questions and greatly contributed to our understanding of how derailment of biological pathways causes human diseases including neurodegeneration, diabetes, cancer, and immune dysfunction.

“Our mission for the next 5 years will be to work with leading research centres, clinicians, and pharmaceutical companies to translate our discoveries into clinical progress and accelerate drug discovery. Whilst doing this research we aim to provide our staff with a unique training opportunity working in a collaborative multidisciplinary environment paying attention to improving culture and development best practices.”

Professor Dario Alessi, Director of the MRC PPU