The biggest name in Dundee’s scientific community has called on the UK and Scottish governments to give scientists the long-term support they need to bring their research to fruition.
Dundee Science Festival patron Professor Sir Philip Cohen presaged the fortnight-long extravaganza of learning with a lecture for the British Science Association at Dundee University on Thursday.
It saw Sir Philip talk about his career in an address entitled Discovery of New Drug Targets for the Treatment of Disease in the 21st Century.
He said his own career was the perfect example of how many would labour in the shadows until the full power of their discoveries could be realised. After many years of unnoticed toil, his work in protein phosphorylation has spawned a cancer treatment market now valued at an estimated £10 billion per year and lengthened the lives of many thousands.
“For many years people didn’t realise that what I was doing was of any use in improving health or wealth creation at all,” Sir Philip told The Courier. “I was 23 years in Dundee before a pharmaceutical company ever phoned me.
“But starting then, and particularly over the last 12 years, this whole area has become the biggest area in cancer treatment.
“I always stress that if you don’t keep funding basic research for a long period, you’ll never get to the stage where it becomes obvious how the results can be exploited.”
Dundee Science Festival runs until November 14. The packed programme includes primary school seminars and a family fun day.More information is available at www.dundeesciencefestival.org