KEY POINTS:
A Dunedin businessman is donating $1 million to establish a chair at the University of Otago specialising in a cancer that kills 170 New Zealanders each year.
Trevor Scott was diagnosed with bladder cancer in March last year, triggering his interest in assisting with research in the topic.
His donation, which will be matched under the Government's Partnerships for Excellence Programme, will establish the TD Scott Professorial Chair in Urology at the university.
In addition to his own battle with cancer, Mr Scott attributed his long-term association with the university - he attended and served on the council and Commercial Activity Board - as contributing to his interest in establishing the chair.
"I was chairman of their Commercial Activity Board, which included establishing the publicly listed cancer diagnostic company Pacific Edge Biotechnology (PEBL), of which I became chair.
"And then I find out I'm a victim of the very disease this company is about."
Approximately 580 New Zealand men and women are diagnosed with bladder cancer annually, while 170 die from the disease each year.
Mr Scott's cancer is currently in remission.
Since his diagnosis, Mr Scott has reduced the number of company directorships he holds and is spending more time working on his Wanaka vineyard.
However, he is in the process of adding one extra organisation to his list of involvements: a trust which will be focused on raising additional money to support the chair and promote research.
"I'd like to think we could raise another $2m or $3m and use the interest to support, say, postgraduate work. I've already had a very encouraging response."
The new professor will be based at the university's Dunedin School of Medicine.
School dean John Adams said the donation would allow the school to enhance urological research already under way at the university.
"It will be great for the university and for the city. It can be difficult to afford to attract clinical academics but this donation allows us to develop new areas of urological research."
Dr Adams said there was growing recognition of the importance of men's health issues and there were currently very few academic urologists in New Zealand.
- NZPA
