Jim Eadie, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, last night hosted an event for Parkinson’s UK at The Scottish Parliament in an effort to highlight the important work being carried out in Scotland’s universities to help understand more about the disease and work towards a cure.
Speaking about the event, Mr Eadie said: “I was delighted to host Parkinson’s UK, as it provided us all with a better insight in to the vital research work carried out across Scotland, as well as the tremendous amount of funding Parkinson’s UK give to help breakthroughs in the treatment and understanding of the condition.
“Work to identify a cure for Parkinson’s is something that we all want to see. Last night’s event sent a clear message that Parkinson’s UK research has a part to play in making Scotland a global centre for life sciences, as well as the importance of their research work to people living with Parkinson’s and the health professionals who support them.”
The MSP has also tabled a parliamentary motion to support the work of Parkinson’s UK:-
“That the Parliament welcomes the work being carried out across Scotland’s universities to find a cure for Parkinson’s disease and improve the lives of people affected by it; understands that Parkinson’s UK is Europe’s largest non-industry funder of research into the condition; believes that the charity’s £60 million investment into groundbreaking research since 1969 has already led to breakthroughs in the treatment and understanding of the condition; welcomes Parkinson’s UK’s ongoing research across the UK, which has 90 projects totalling over £20 million and that £5 million of this is committed to research at the universities of Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow; understands that the world’s largest ever in-depth study of people with Parkinson’s is being led by Glasgow-based researchers and that other research in Scotland covers topics including genetics, stem cells, the impact of Parkinson’s on people with the condition and unpaid carers; supports this research, which, it believes, underpins the success of Scotland’s life sciences sector; considers that this success enables researchers to leverage funding from other sources; agrees with Parkinson’s UK that actively involving people with the condition in the research leads to studies that are better and more relevant and meaningful, and looks forward to a time when people are able to live free from the symptoms of Parkinson’s.”
