Academic Research

Scotland has an outstanding reputation for scientific excellence, with its work in the life science field highly regarded world wide. In recognition of this, the Scottish Government has indentified the sector as a priority industry. Under the umbrella of life sciences, stem cell research is one of Scotland’s shining examples of academic distinction, as backed up by a recent Edinburgh Science Triangle (EST) market analysis

The country as a whole ranked 1st in the world for stem cell research based on citation impact in 2007 (ScienceWatch). In 2008 Scotland received a larger proportion of UK Clinical Medicine funding than London, Cambridge and Oxford - 7.4%>6.7%, 1.2%, 1.8% (Source: RAE). From 1997 – 2007, the University of Edinburgh was ranked 3rd in the world for Stem Cells based on citation impact (source: ScienceWatch) and the University of Glasgow ranked 4th in Europe for Clinical Medicine.

Below is a round up of institutes engaging in stem cell research:

Aberdeen

Work on stem cells at the University of Aberdeen can be found in a number of different departments and centres including; Medical Research Facility supporting the Institute of Medical Sciences and the Institute for Applied Health Sciences, in addition to the specific tissue engineering facility for bone stem cell studies.

Dundee

The University of Dundee’s work on stem cells in clinical medicine happens at the joint initiative by the Universities of Dundee and St Andrews; The Institute for Medical Science & Technology (IMSaT). IMSaT, along with a range of other research, looks at regenerative medicine.

Edinburgh

Edinburgh University, MRC Centre for Regenerative MedicineEdinburgh is a hub for stem cell research with many centres within the University of Edinburgh working in this area, including the MRC Centre for Regenerative Medicine, MRC Centre for Inflammation Research, Centre for Reproductive Biology, Centre for Cancer Research, Centre for Neuroregeneration, The Roslin Institute and links with Edinburgh’s Clinical Research Facilities and Edinburgh Neuroscience.

Glasgow

The University of Glasgow Biomedical Territory undertakes various stem cell research projects under a number of clinical medicine fields ranging from immunology and infection through to cancer. The centres and institutes that are involved in this research include; Cellartis (ITI Stem Cell Programme), Glasgow Centre for Cancer Research – with research groups “Cancer Cell and Biology group”, “Translational Research and Experimental Therapies group”, “Clinical Trials and Patient Benefit Group”, Glasgow Biomedical Research Centre (specifically immunology)

St. Andrews

The University of St Andrews does not undertake stem cell research alone, however, a joint initiative with the University of Dundee has created the Institute for Medical Science & Technology. In addition, the University of St Andrews considers stem cell research in their clinical medicine research through colloquia.