YCR Cancer Specialist elected as President of ESUR
Posted on 23 October 2006
The ESUR is the scientific section of the European Association of Urology, which promotes scientific research in urology and related areas and has more than 16,000 members.
Funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research, Professor Maitland, who is based at the YCR Cancer Research Unit in the University of York's Department of Biology said: "I am delighted to be elected as President of the ESUR. My aim will be to stimulate the next generation of basic biologists and related disciplines to work on urological diseases such as fertility, long term urinary tract infections, benign prostatic hyperplasia and common cancers such as bladder, kidney and prostate".
I am delighted to be elected as President of the ESUR
Professor Norman Maitland
He added: "The building of closer links between clinical and basic scientists to achieve this aim is a challenging task. However, the ESUR and its sister organisation The Society for Basic Urological Research in the USA provide an informal international forum through their meetings where all classes of researcher can discuss their research with leading figures in their field."
Professor Maitland's team of researchers at York discovered how to isolate the 'root' of prostate cancer - tumour stem cells, which make up one in 1,000 of cancer cells. This breakthrough will help the development of therapies for treating stem cells to stop them regenerating.
Professor Maitland's first official task, as President of the ESUR, is to chair the ESUR organised conference in Berlin in March 2007 and to officiate at the 7th World Congress on Urological Research, in Dublin in September next year.
The ESUR promotes collaborative investigations among scientists with an emphasis on the interchange of expertise among clinical and basic scientists.
Notes to editors:
- The YCR Cancer Research Unit at the University of York was set up in 1980 by the then Yorkshire Cancer Research Campaign (now Yorkshire Cancer Research), an independent charity funding cancer research in Yorkshire. Professor Norman Maitland is a former Chairman of the British Prostate Group and is Co-ordinator of an international EU-funded network to develop gene therapy for prostate cancer. He is also founder of a University spin out company 'Pro-Cure Therapeutics', which also seeks to develop novel therapies for prostate cancer.
- Yorkshire Cancer Research (YCR) is the largest regional medical research charity in the UK, financing research into the cause and cure of cancer. It provides around £4 million each year for research in the region's five centres of research excellence at the Universities of Bradford, Hull, Leeds, Sheffield and York, and their associated teaching hospitals. For further information on Yorkshire Cancer Research please call 01423 501 269 or visit www.yorkshirecancerresearch.org.uk/
- The YCR Unit at the University of York is part of the Department of Biology which is one of the leading centres for biological teaching and research in the UK. The Department, with more than 400 scientific and support staff and 400 undergraduates currently has one of the highest research ratings in the UK.