The Dundee Research Interest Group comprises of a group of people, affected directly or indirectly by Parkinson’s:
- We have to deal with the effects of the disease on a daily basis.
- The life of carers is heavily influenced by our varying needs.
That’s why we are interested in all possibilities to stop or slow down the progression of the illness and – moreover – never give up the hope, that research will come up with a cure for Parkinson’s.
Parkinson`s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world. There’s currently no cure. But Parkinson`s UK determined to change that. By funding the right research into the most promising treatments, we can get closer to a cure.
The Fife Branch is affiliated to the Dundee Research Interest Group linked to Dundee University for anyone interested in finding out about the research undertaken by Parkinson’s Research Scientists throughout the world.
Research Interest Groups (RIGs) are made up of people with Parkinson`s and the people who love and care for them. They support us by increasing awareness and understanding of research at a regional level.
Research Interest Group members are Research Support Network volunteers. They`re often led by a steering group, who work with local groups and staff to coordinate, initiate and participate in research activities of the following types:
- meetings and presentations on research given by researchers
- visits to laboratories undertaking Parkinson`s research
- participation in clinical trials and studies
- keeping up to date with research progress and new developments
- identifying people to speak at local support groups about Parkinson’s research
The aim if the group is to provide opportunities for members with an interest in Parkinson’s research to meet, communicate, work together and generally further the cause of research.
The Dundee Research Interest Group’s online research event on focused ultrasound for the treatment of tremor, which took place on 31 March 2022 with keynote speaker Dr Tom Gilbertson, Consultant Neurologist at Ninewells Hospital and Medical School and Senior Lecturer in the Medical School at the University of Dundee.
You can find the full recording on the Parkinson’s UK YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=viJFiFx916U
About the talk
The University of Dundee is the second site in the UK to host a Magnetic Resonance-guided Focused Ultrasound (MRgFUS) system. This is sometimes more simply called a magnetically guided ultrasound scanner. This scanner will be at the heart of the proposed new Experimental Therapy Centre, for Parkinson’s and Related Disorders based within NHS Tayside. This technology will be at the forefront of clinical trials aimed at accurately treating individuals with disabling tremor and may also benefit people with Parkinson’s in the future.
Dr Tom Gilbertson and his team treated the first patient in Scotland with Essential tremor in 2021 using the new MRgFUS system. Presently, Tom is Chief Investigator on the first UK-clinical trial studying the effectiveness of the MRgFUS in the treatment of so-called ‘essential tremor’ and hopefully also in the treatment of Parkinson’s. The clinical trial is likely to start this year with the recruitment of suitable participants for the trial. In this talk, Tom discussed how MRgFUS works and how it can be used to treat tremor.
Useful links
To learn more about the Dundee Research Interest Group and their activities, please visit their website https://drig.org.uk/. New members are always welcome!
To read more about Parkinson’s UK’s Research Interest Groups programme across the UK, please visit the following website: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/local-parkinsons-research-groups
If you’d like to receive Parkinson’s UK’s research focused emails, you can sign up to our Research Support Network here: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/get-involved-research
If you’d like to take part in a research study, you can search for opportunities near to you or from home using the Take Part Hub postcode search: https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/take-part-research
If you’d like to browse other upcoming research events, please visit https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/research/research-events
If you need any support or information about living with Parkinson’s, please visit https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/information-and-support or ring our Helpline Advisers for free on 0808 800 0303.
Lastly, to read more about Parkinson’s UK’s work in Scotland, please visit https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/about-us/parkinsons-uk-scotland.