A leading organisation which funds cutting edge research into the causes of cancer is today (Wednesday, May 17) filming its first television advert at a flagship science facility at the University of Aberdeen.
The Association for International Cancer Research - which funds research by eminent and promising scientists across the world - is filming all the lab shots for the TV fundraising campaign at the University’s Institute of Medical Sciences at Foresterhill.
The AICR currently funds six major cancer research programmes at the Institute of Medical Sciences.
Dr Mark Matfield, AICR’s Scientific Consultant, said: “We are currently funding more than 200 cancer research projects around the world and over 100 in the UK with six at the University of Aberdeen.
“We are trying to break new ground by establishing television based fundraising for international cancer research and we decided to feature one of our projects at the University of Aberdeen because of the excellent molecular studies into the basis of cancer that are being conducted there.”
The production team are filming in the lab of Dr Stefan Hoppler whose team are exploring the mechanics behind the development of cancer.
Dr Lynne Shanley, Post Doctoral Research Fellow, explained about the work that takes place there: “The research in our lab, funded by the Association for International Cancer Research, is concerned with investigating the molecular mechanisms governing the progression of cancer.
“Some types of cancer including colorectal cancer, the 3rd most prevalent cancer in the UK, are known to result from deregulation of a pathway known as the canonical Wnt pathway. It is our goal to try to understand the normal function of this pathway and how defects in its regulation might lead to the abnormalities associated with colorectal cancer and tumour invasion.”
Professor Ian Booth, Director of the Institute of Medical Sciences, said: “We are really pleased that that the Association for International Cancer Research are filming at the Institute of Medical Sciences and we are delighted at their ongoing support.
“The University of Aberdeen is a centre of excellence for the study of cells. Dr Stefan Hoppler and his teams are internationally recognised for their research in defining the proper growth patterns that lead to normal health development.
“Dr Hoppler’s work is particularly relevant to cancer because tumours develop when the normal development process goes wrong.”
The 40 second advert will raise awareness to the work of the AICR and also ask for donations. It will initially be shown in the Grampian North East area from May 29.