Partner Profile

Newcastle University – Newcastle Initiative on Changing Age

Areas of Expertise

Newcastle University is a research intensive university in the North of England. It has a long tradition of strength in ageing research and its comprehensive programme of ageing related activity, recognised in 2009 by the awarding of a prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize, puts it amongst the world’s leading research organisations in the field, in terms of both scale and scope.

From a strong understanding of the mechanisms of ageing and of chronic disease, the research programme now extends across all of the university’s faculties through its Newcastle Initiative on Changing Age. In its engagement activities, it has led calls for more positive attitudes to ageing and for new ways of thinking about and addressing the global issue of demographic ageing.

Recent Publications

Research Interests

Our broad ranging research interests are organised under the following themes:

Mechanisms of Ageing – seeks to understand the complex mechanisms through which ageing occurs, the ways in which this process and the associated risks can be monitored through the selection and use of appropriate biomarkers, and the opportunity to intervene to improve trajectories of ageing;
Ageing and Chronic Disease – seeks to understand the health implications of ageing in terms of its presentation through chronic disease, including the development of novel interventions, treatments, management and improved care pathways;
Through-life Health and Wellbeing – seeks to understand successful ageing strategies and how preventive interventions may be used to improve and extend health and wellbeing;
Ageing, Technology and the Built Environment – seeks to improve understanding of how the environment in which we live impacts upon our ability to age well, upon the support needed by those damaged by ageing, and the role which the appropriate deployment of technology and a well planned and appropriately designed environment can have in improving this;
Ageing, Arts and Culture – explores the accessibility of arts and cultural activity for older people and the potential for this sort of activity to have a positive impact on health and wellbeing; and
Ageing, Policy and Business – explores the impact of changing demography on policy and business, and includes issues such as the ageing workforce, work, purpose and lifelong learning, and the potential for innovation to realise the opportunities of demographic ageing.