Alzheimer’s Disease Research Project
Alzheimer’s Disease is a major sub-type of dementia. Over 700,000 people have this condition in the UK and this number is predicted to double within a generation.
The age-related dementias are recognised to be major public health problems that affect about 5% of the population aged over 65 years. Dementia affects as many people as those who have heart disease and cancer put together, but attracts proportionately much less funding despite great research interest.
Working in conjunction with NHS Tayside and Murray Royal Hospital in Perth, we aim to establish a research facility to understand the contribution of the rural environment to the risk of Alzheimer’s Disease.
The centre will identify factors which impact on the disease so they can be removed from the environment or to enable the addition of suitable protection from them. The research will have global as well as local implications.
To find out more about this exciting project, call Fiona Leslie, our Development Trust Manager, on 01738 877215 or email her.
Mountain Studies
Perth College UHI’s first research base - the Centre for Mountain Studies - was established in 2000 and now has an international reputation as a centre of excellence, with its work on sustainable development in mountain regions being highly regarded by a wide range of eminent bodies.
Professor Martin Price, the Centre's Director, was one of the global scientists awarded the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change which looked into the connection between human activity and global warming. The Centre was also awarded £1.5 million in 2008 by the European Commission to coordinate a project on how local communities can adapt to climate change, with partners in Finland, Greenland, Norway and Sweden.
Rural Childhood
Until now, much of the focus on children’s issues has largely been on children with an urban upbringing. The UHI Centre for Rural Childhood, based at Perth College UHI, plays a major role in addressing that imbalance by emphasising the very different experiences of rural children and the implications this has for their growth and development and for effective service provision. Research focuses on a variety of issues including health, education and the experiences of immigrant children now moving to the more rural areas of Scotland. Professor Rebecca Wallace is the Centre’s director.
Developing fields of research
Through the College's Development Trust and Campaign 2010, we want to enhance the success and the excellent reputation we currently enjoy in research by focusing our expertise in niche areas of local significance and collaborating more widely with businesses.
If you'd like to be part of this then call Fiona Leslie on 01738 877215 or email her.