Countess given tour of Saving Sight in Grampian’s Foresterhill lab
Royal visitor highlights work of medical researchers
Published:
One of the north-east’s most important medical research charities had a royal visitor yesterday.
The Countess of Wessex met fundraisers and researchers associated with Saving Sight in Grampian at Aberdeen University’s Foresterhill campus.
The charity, which exists solely to fund the university’s pioneering research into conditions that cause loss of sight, has raised more than £2.5million since it was formed in 1988.
Sophie, wife of Prince Edward, was taken on a tour of laboratories at the Institute of Medical Sciences where sight-saving research is carried out, before meeting some of the charity’s supporters.
A team of about 30 scientists at the institute’s ophthalmology department are working to help prevent conditions such as macular degeneration which causes blindness in old people.
Professor John Forrester, who leads the research team, said: “This visit does a lot to help raise the profile of what Saving Sight in Grampian does. We rely heavily on donations from the charity to carry out our research.”
Iain Fraser, chairman of Saving Sight in Grampian, said: “When the charity was formed there was just one researcher and now there are 30. The team was delighted to welcome the Countess of Wessex to meet the researchers and hear about the very worthwhile research being conducted.”
Musicians from Aberdeen Strathspey and Reel Society performed for the countess.
