News releases
FIRST DIRECTOR OF NORTH WEST CANCER RESEARCH FUND INSTITUTE APPOINTED
17 May 2005
Dr Caspari is uniquely placed to head the Institute, bringing with him experience in both academia and industry and having conducted ground-breaking work in a new area of cancer research which is of growing importance.
Dr Caspari was drawn to the position as the Directorship offers a unique opportunity to manage a large group of� six research teams working towards a common goal in a supportive environment. The groups are working in different but complementary areas of research to gain a greater understanding of the complex processes involved in the development of cancers.
�It is through this type of fundamental research work, developing a greater understanding of the biological processes involved in normal and cancerous cell growth, that clinical applications can be developed that will cure or prevent the development of cancers. The excellent team of world-class scientist that we are building here in Bangor can make a significant contribution towards this goal,� said Dr Caspari.
Dr Caspari has a rare combination of experience of working both in academic research and in industry, and he hopes to combine both experiences to develop a new style of management rendering scientific research more powerful. Dr Caspari began his career at a German university and more recently at the UK Medical Research Council before spending three years in industry as Head of Strategic Research and as Project Manager working on Pre-Clinical Developments.
His own research uncovered a novel regulation required for avoidance of cancer-prone mutations. Dr Caspari established for the first time that efficient genome surveillance results from the cross-talk between DNA repair and the central element of cell cycle regulation known as cyclin-dependent kinase. This is now a growing area of cancer research and it is through an understanding of such signalling networks that a future answer to cancer may lie.
Mr John Lewys-Lloyd, Chairman of the North West Cancer Research Fund, said, 'We are delighted to welcome Dr Caspari to the North West Cancer Research Fund Institute� This is an exciting time for us as we see the Institute develop.� As ever, I am especially pleased for our dedicated volunteers from our Welsh committees without whose fund raising efforts we would not have been able to help to create this centre of research excellence.'
ENDS
Further information:
Dr Caspari may be contacted at the North West Cancer Research Fund Institute, University of Wales, Bangor (01248) 382526 e mail [email protected]
Photos of Dr Caspari are available from [email protected] (01248) 3839298.
EDITOR�S NOTES:
1. The North West Cancer Research Fund Institute was launched in July 2004. The Institute is financed by �3.5 million of private and public funding, with the major donation coming from the North West Cancer Research Fund and with additional funding from the University itself and Elwa (the body responsible for post 16 education).
If you have helped to collect money for The North West Cancer Research Fund, don't forget to tell us all about how you raised the money so we can publicise your efforts.