Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport visit to the Royal Edinburgh Hospital

Hosted by Prof Andrew McIntosh, The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Jeane Freeman MSP, visited the Royal Edinburgh Hospital last month to learn about some of the research funded by the MRC in Scotland, including two projects based at the University of Edinburgh, the MRC Mental Health Data Pathfinder award and the Generation Malawi project. 

The data pathfinder project uses cost-effective data integration and analysis in order to gain an understanding into the causes and consequences of common mental health conditions. Generation Malawi aims to develop a cohort of 5,000 mothers, their children, and wider families, in two areas of Malawi. This will lead to the development of a large biobank which could facilitate future studies of common mental disorders.

Researchers also had the opportunity to talk to the Cabinet Secretary about actions the Scottish Government could take to support them in their work, such as improving access to data. 

Ms Freeman said: “I was delighted to visit the University of Edinburgh and was fascinated to learn about these two projects being funded by the Medical Research Council. Improving mental health is a priority for the Scottish Government and supporting researchers looking at the causes and consequences of mental health conditions, both in Scotland and abroad, is crucial. I look forward to hearing about the outcomes of this vital research”.

Professor McIntosh said: “It was a real pleasure to welcome the Cabinet Secretary and have the opportunity to tell her more about our work. I was really pleased by the productive and helpful nature of discussions and look forward to continuing dialogue with the Scottish Government.”