Press release

University of Buckingham Professor to talk on obesity and diabetes

Tuesday 10 July 2007

As part of the Milton Keynes Science Festival, Professor Mike Cawthorne, Director of Metabolic Research at the University of Buckingham, will give a talk on Wednesday 11 July entitled: Obesity and Diabetes - The modern Day Health Epidemic.

The lecture will be suitable for scientists and non-scientists alike; it will discuss the possible reasons for the current obesity and diabetes epidemic, its potential healthcare and economic consequences and how these might be prevented. Professor Cawthorne will also highlight some of the implications of research conducted at the University's Clore Laboratory.

The talk is open to members of the public and free to attend. It will begin at 19:00 in the Ian Fairbairn Lecture Hall, Chandos Road campus, University of Buckingham.

For more information, contact:

Anne Matsuoka / Lauren Hardy
Tel: +44 (0)1280 820338 / 820213
Email: publicity@buckingham.ac.uk

Mike Cawthorne is Director of Metabolic Research at the Clore Laboratory, University of Buckingham, where he leads a group of 15 researchers seeking new molecular targets and evaluating pioneering therapies for obesity and type 2 diabetes. From 1968 to 1994, Mike was at Beecham and SmithKline Beecham latterly as Group Director for diabetes and obesity research. Apart from leading the research team that discovered rosiglitazone, he led the biological research that identified the beta3-adrenoceptor as a potential molecular target for thermogenesis and type 2 diabetes. Mike has published more than 100 papers in peer-reviewed journals, is a past Chairman of the Association for the Study of Obesity, was founding secretary of the International Association for the Study of Obesity and received the 2001 award for drug discovery from the Society of Medicines research.

The Milton Keynes Science Festival is part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of Milton Keynes. The Festival runs from 6 to 15 July. The week will be packed with a series of exciting, entertaining and informative Science, Engineering and Technology events and activities held in various locations around the city involving local schools, colleges, universities, societies and businesses. For more information, go to: www.mksciencefestival.org.uk (external link).