Asthma breakthrough a tribute to Queen's University

1.15.00am GMT Thu 23rd Mar 2006

Chair of the Alliance Party's youth wing, Cllr Ian James Parsley, has said that a breakthrough made by two Queen's University graduates which will aid the treatment of asthma and the skin disease eczema is a credit to third-level education locally.

Cllr Parsley stated: "That work by Queen's graduates now presents the genuine prospect of an eradication of asthma and a common skin disease is an astonishing achievement. I congratulate Dr Irvine and Prof McLean on an achievement of genuine international standing.

"Too often we in Northern Ireland are cynical about what we can achieve. We are far too prepared to accept our position as a peripheral region of no real influence. News that Queen's graduates are leading the world in getting to the root cause of asthma and eczema shows that, quite on the contrary, a mix of good training and hard work can deliver genuinely

world-class results.

"This work is linking Scotland, Seattle and Copenhagen in the fight against two diseases which cause severe problems for millions of people across the globe. That is tribute in large part to work and study done at and through Queen's University, which continues to go from strength to strength. We should all be proud of this."

ENDS