Clinical Geriatrics and Institute for Ageing and Health
The Faculty of Medicine in the University of Newcastle upon Tyne recognises ageing research as one of its top strategic priorities.
This is due, in no small part, to the enormous success of the multidisciplinary research strategy which has evolved within the Institute for Ageing and Health (IAH). The IAH is the largest cross-disciplinary research grouping within Newcastle’s Faculty of Medicine, which recently obtained the highest 5 or 5-star rating in all fields evaluated in the UK Research Assessment Exercise 2001.
Professors Oliver James (Head of the School of Clinical Medical Sciences, which includes Geriatrics) and Jim Edwardson (Director of the IAH) were the visionaries responsible for the establishment and development of the IAH: thus securing the future of high quality, high profile age-related research in Newcastle, when so many academic departments of geriatric medicine are falling by the wayside. The IAH was set up in 1994 to bring together clinical, basic and social scientists in partnership with colleagues in the NHS. The IAH has become a model for the development of other cross-disciplinary institutes within the University and in the UK.
The
mission
The mission of the IAH is to promote research aimed at:
- Increasing and improving training in clinical, basic and social sciences
- Elucidating basic biological mechanisms of ageing
- Understanding the major causes of ill health and disability in older people
- Developing effective preventative and therapeutic measures to combat chronic disability and ill health
- Assessing the prevalence, incidence and cost of such conditions
- Determining the most effective use of resources; and
- Measuring effectiveness and efficiency of care delivery systems
| The
successes The IAH was founded in partnership with the NHS and the University so that clinical investigations are facilitated and research advances can be piloted and assessed in a health care environment. In clinical geriatrics, the IAH has five professors (Oliver James, Rose Anne Kenny, Gary Ford, Chris Grey and David Barer), two readers (Helen Rodgers, Roger Francis), six senior lecturers in geriatric medicine (Julia Newton, Steve Parry, Fiona Shaw, Janice O’Connell, Michelle Davies, Terry Asprey) and there are three professors of old age psychiatry (Ian McKeith, Clive Ballard, John O’Brien). |
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Prof
Rose Anne Kenny
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Thirty-five Clinical Research Fellows in geriatric medicine have been awarded PhDs and MDs in the past five years. Successful, highly competitive clinical training fellowships include MRC (4) , Wellcome Trust (3), Alzheimer’s Society (2), National and Regional R&D and other awards (10). Members of the Department of Geriatric Medicine have published in excess of 200 original peer reviewed papers in the past five years (these are on the BGS Publications database).
Across
the disciplines
The recent strategic appointment of Professor Tom Kirkwood to the Chair
of Medicine in Newcastle has enabled a large Biogerontology group within
the IAH, providing further foundation for basic sciences in cross-disciplinary
work.
In recognition of research achievements and proposals to expand research on brain ageing, a highly prestigious MRC Centre Development Grant has been awarded to the University to develop a Centre in Clinical Brain Ageing at the IAH which focuses on four key areas, each supported by an MRC Programme grant:
- Vascular risk factors for cognitive impairment and dementia including mechanisms underpinning dementia in stroke survivors and in autonomic syndromes such as orthostatic hypotension and carotid sinus syndrome (Raj Kalaria, Rose Anne Kenny, Clive Ballard)
- Dementia with Lewy bodies and related movement disorders such as Parkinson’s Disease (Ian McKeith, Elaine Perry, Robert Perry, David Burn)
- How the phenotypic presentations of Alzheimer’s Disease, dementia with Lewy bodies, vascular dementia and mixed syndromes are influenced by candidate genetic risk factors (Jim Edwardson, Chris Morris, Doug Turnbull)
- Dementia in primary care including service use during the earliest phase of cognitive decline (Martin Eccles)
This work will feed into the development of the Healthy Brain Unit, which will provide a one-site-one-stop clinical assessment facility for the early and comprehensive assessment and intervention of patients deemed ‘at risk’. This novel facility will be driven by four overlapping clinical services - the Memory Service (Ian McKeith), the Falls and Syncope Service (Rose Anne Kenny), the TIA Service (Gary Ford) and the Movement Disorder Service (David Burn).
Future
strategies
Some of the future strategies of interest to members of the BGS include:
- The 85 plus Study - this is an investigation of genetic and non-genetic determinants of successful ageing in a comprehensive cohort study of the 85+ population in the North East (in collaboration with Leiden University).
- A new Genetics Knowledge Park – on the theme of genome instability (led by Prof Tom Kirkwood) has received substantial awards from the DoH. The Genetics Knowledge Park will create new academic posts and facilities as well as supporting links in patient care, bioethics, public engagement in science, and industry
- A longitudinal clinico-pathological study of cognitive impairment and dementia in the well-characterised and large Newcastle series of people with neuro-cardiovascular instability.
- Driving ability in dementia and stroke (in collaboration with Trinity College, Dublin).
- Prevention of in-hospital falls (in collaboration with Dundee).
- Plans are being developed for a Centre for Assistive Devices (led by Prof Jim Edwardson) to meet the clinical, biological and functional challenges of ageing and disability.
- Plans are being developed for a Centre for Age-Related Eye Disease to draw together basic sciences and clinical expertise in age-related eye diseases including macular degeneration and cataracts.
There are many research training opportunities for young members of the British Geriatrics Society. The established cross-disciplinary collaboration provides an outstanding environment which encourages high quality output in a friendly and thriving atmosphere. We welcome enquiries about research positions and collaborations.
For further information about the Institute, our website address is www.ncl.ac.uk/iah
Prof
Rose Anne Kenny
Institute for Ageing and Health
University of Newcastle
KEY FIELDS OF RESEARCH
- Biology of ageing
-
Factors which contribute to the vulnerability and loss of homeostatis in aged tissued and the development of bioinformatics models of molecular mechanisms of ageing - Falls and neurocardiovascular
instability -
mechanistic and intervention studies for falls and the role of neurocardio-
vascular instability in falls, in dementia and in depression. - Brain ageing
and dementia -
a wide program of established and emerging research in the areas highlighted in the MRC Centre for Clinical Brain Ageing - Stroke and ischaemic
brain disease -
spanning epidemiology, prevention, acute interventions, rehabilitation, cognitive decline, dementia and health services research - Depression in
later life -
including the role of white matter lesions and microvascular pathology in later life depression
There is also established collaborative research with other strong research groups in Newcastle, such as vision (including a new Centre for Age-Related Eye Disease), musculoskeletal disorders (including osteoporosis research), prostate cancer and oral health.
FOR THE DIARY:
Some forthcoming meetings organised by the IAH which are of interest to BGS members include:
Third International
Workshop on Dementia with Lewy Bodies and Parkinson’s Disease Dementia
(DLB/PDD)
Date: 17-20 December 2003
Venue: Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne
Visit: www.dlbconference.com
International Syncope
Conference
Date: 20-22 November 2003
Venue: Civic Centre, Newcastle upon Tyne
Visit: www.syncope-conference.co.uk
Newcastle will host the 2006 Spring BGS meeting which we hope will reflect the outstanding achievements in age-related research in this thriving environment.