Established in 1998, the UK Cuba Science Links programme is designed to increase collaboration between research groups in the United Kingdom and Cuba. The programme is funded and managed by the British Council in Havana and supports projects agreed with the Cuban Ministry for Foreign Investment and Economic Co-operation [MINVEC]. Funding is available each year to support collaborative research projects between groups in publicly funded research and higher education institutions.

We currently have 3 links in their 2^nd year for during this financial year 2008-09.  

1- Proactive Measures to Conserve Caribbean Fungal Biodiversity

Partners: Dr David Minter, Principal Scientist, from CABI Bioscience (International Mycological Institute) working with Dr Julio Mena Portales from the Instituto de Ecología y Sistemática, and the National Botanic Gardens of Cuba

2-Molecular pharmacological and biological basis for the use of Cuban plants as dietary interventions in metabolic diseases associated with obesity and type 2 diabetes.

Partners: Prof. Alan Harvey, PhD, from the Strathclyde Institute for Drug Research (SIDR) in Glasgow, together with Dr Evangelina Marrero Faz, PhD from the the Cuban Institution, the National Centre for Animal and Plant Health (CENSA).

3-Isolation and characterization of new inhibitors from tropical marine sources against new therapeutic proteinase targets in malaria: Biochemical potential as drugs

Partners: Dr Colin Berry from the Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Wales, together with Prof Dr María de los Angeles Chávez Planes from the Faculty of Biology at the University of Havana.

The call for applications 2009-2010 will be published in early 2009.

For more information please contact Jenny White.