|  |  |  | | | | SCIENTIST WINS AWARD IN MEMORY OF JAMES | | | | |
| |  James Skillington
Release Date: 19th January 2005
A Nottingham scientist has been awarded a £149,000 research grant from the UK's leading blood cancer charity, Leukaemia Research, in memory of a Nottingham man who lost his battle against leukaemia.
The James Skillington Fellowship has been established by Leukaemia Research (LRF) in memory of James Skillington from Ravenshead, who sadly died of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in August 2002. A major part of the grant is funded by money raised by James' mum Susan, when in 2003 with a group of friends, walked from John O'Groats to Land's End for the charity.
James was aged 21 when he was diagnosed in July 2001 with this type of leukaemia that affects around 2,000 people each year in the UK. Sadly he lost his fight in August 2002 after suffering a relapse following his second bone marrow transplant at Nottingham City Hospital.
Dr Claire Seedhouse, a LRF post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Nottingham, who has been awarded the Fellowship, will carry out research that focuses on DNA repair mechanisms in patients with AML - the type of leukaemia that sadly claimed James' life.
Her research will look at how cells and DNA can get damaged, possibly leading to leukaemia when the DNA does not repair itself. Also she will look at how very effective repair mechanisms in some people can interfere with successful chemotherapy, by repairing the DNA damage caused by the drug, in the leukaemic cells.
"I am finding it really motivational to be involved in such a great project. When I started out, DNA repair was an emerging concept in leukaemia research and now I can't imagine doing anything else," says 32-year-old Claire.
"I am absolutely delighted in getting this Fellowship from Leukaemia Research. It makes me even more determined to do my best, knowing that the project has such a personal story to it," she adds.
Leading the three-year project, Professor Nigel Russell from the School of Molecular Medical Sciences at the University Of Nottingham, says: "Despite advances in treatment, the majority of adults with AML will eventually suffer disease relapse. This project will help to find ways of preventing this, and so helping save lives. We are extremely grateful for the funding from Leukaemia Research and the support of the Skillington family."
James’ mum Susan Skillington, 50, welcomes the new Fellowship in her memory of her son.
"Everyone adored James because he was intelligent and compassionate with a quirky sense of humour. This Fellowship will help keep his memory alive and hopefully help save countless lives of others who are diagnosed with this terrible disease," says Susan, a retired nurse.
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