Scotland's largest cancer research charity, the Association for International Cancer Research (AICR), has awarded grants to three Glasgow scientists for their innovative and cutting edge science.

At the University's Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Dr David Blackbourn and Dr Robert White have been awarded £150K and £107K respectively. Dr Blackbourn's three-year study will investigate a form of cancer called Kaposi's Sarcoma that is found in AIDS patients. Dr White's three-year study will look into the role of RNA synthesising proteins in ovarian cancer.

Dr Sara Fitzsimmons, of the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, CRC Beatson Laboratories, has been awarded £130K for a study into cancer cell immortality.

Based in St Andrews, AICR is one of the leading funders of high quality scientific research into the cause of cancer and is one of a decreasing number of funding bodies that offer three year grants for individual researchers.

In total in 2001 AICR will have given over £7 million to researchers in the fight against cancer. It currently funds 221 projects in 19 countries at a total cost of nearly £20 million. Of these, 152 projects are in the UK with 42 being funded in Scotland.

AICR chief executive Derek Napier said: "AICR accepts applications for funding from individual researchers in any area of cancer and in any research institution in the world. All we ask is that the science is of the highest quality, the research is clearly relevant to cancer, and it does not duplicate work already done. "Our charity plays an important role, not only in supporting today's scientific research, but also in helping to build the research base of the future. We give extra weighting to applications for innovative science."

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Media Relations Office (media@gla.ac.uk)

For further information on AICR contact Sue Campbell at Citigate SMARTS on 0131 555 0425.

For information on the scientists mentioned please contact, University of Glasgow?s Press Offcie on 0141 330 3535 and for The Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, contact Professor Paul Harrison on 0141 330 3975.

Editor?s Notes

AICR supports only the highest quality research, endorsed by eminent scientists

AICR supports mainly scientific research rather than clinical research or trials

AICR?s website is http://www.aicr.org.uk

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First published: 24 October 2001