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A Quantitative Fitness Analysis Workflow
Published on: August 13, 2012
The Institute for Ageing and Health, University of Newcastle, UK
J A Edwardson1, T B L Kirkwood
1Institute for Ageing and Health, University of Newcastle, Newcastle General Hospital, Westgate Road, Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 6BE, UK. j.a.edwardson@ncl.ac.uk
Insights
The Institute For Ageing And Health (IAH) unites experts to study aging and age-related diseases. Their research spans clinical, basic, and social sciences, focusing on dementia, brain aging, and the biology of longevity.
Area of Science:
- Gerontology and Ageing Research
- Neuroscience
- Public Health
Background:
- The Institute For Ageing And Health (IAH) is a leading cross-disciplinary research group at Newcastle University's Faculty of Medicine.
- Established in 1994, IAH collaborates with clinicians, basic scientists, social scientists, and the National Health Service.
- Builds on a legacy of research in age-related disorders, notably dementia, with foundational studies on Alzheimer's disease.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present the scope and integrated research strategy of the Institute For Ageing And Health (IAH).
- To highlight the synergy between clinical and basic science approaches in understanding ageing and age-related diseases.
- To showcase IAH's contributions to dementia research, brain ageing, and the fundamental biology of ageing.
Main Methods:
- Clinical research in neurodegenerative and vascular dementia, depression, falls, stroke, and health services for older people.
- Basic science research in genetics of ageing and longevity, molecular mechanisms of cellular ageing (oxidative stress, DNA damage, telomeres, mitochondria), and theoretical ageing models.
- Cross-disciplinary collaboration integrating clinical, basic, and social science perspectives.
Main Results:
- IAH achieved top ratings (5 or 5*) in all evaluated fields in the UK Research Assessment Exercise 2001.
- Pioneering studies established Alzheimer's disease as the primary cause of cognitive decline in later life.
- Comprehensive research programs cover diverse aspects of ageing, from clinical care to molecular biology.
Conclusions:
- IAH employs a synergistic approach combining clinical and basic science to address ageing and age-related disorders.
- The institute is at the forefront of research into dementia, brain ageing, and the fundamental processes of ageing.
- IAH's integrated strategy positions it for significant future advancements in understanding and managing age-related conditions.
Abstract:
The Institute For Ageing And Health (IAH) is the largest cross-disciplinary research grouping within Newcastle University's Faculty of Medicine, which recently obtained the highest 5 or 5* ratings in all fields evaluated in the UK Research Assessment Exercise 2001. The IAH was set up in 1994 to bring together clinical, basic and social scientists in partnership with colleagues in the National Health Service. It builds upon a long tradition of outstanding clinical research on age-related disorders, particularly in the field of dementia where the pioneering studies of Tomlinson and Roth in the 1960s first showed Alzheimer's disease to be the commonest cause of cognitive decline in later life. The clinical research of the IAH now extends to both neurodegenerative and vascular dementia in a joint Medical Research Council-University Development for Clinical Brain Ageing, and to studies in many other areas including depression in later life, falls and neurovascular instability, stroke and ischaemic brain disease, and health services research on the medical and social care of older people. These diverse areas of clinical investigation are now complemented by strong research on the basic biology of ageing within the new Department of Gerontology with its programmes on the genetics of ageing and longevity; molecular mechanisms of cellular ageing, including oxidative stress, DNA damage and genomic instability, telomere reduction and regulation, mitochondrial DNA mutations, and accumulation of aberrant proteins; and theoretical models of the ageing process. An ambitious strategy for future research on ageing and age-related disorders is based on the synergy between these complementary approaches.
