The Ageing and Health research group is led by Gillian Mead. Their research covers the health of older people, through producing original research, disseminating knowledge and existing as an exemplar of excellent clinical practice. Research in a Nutshell Ageing and Health constitutes a group of clinical academics focusing on major problems in older people, including stroke, dementia/delirium, frailty/sarcopenia, care homes and multiple long-term conditions. We use a range of methodologies, including large clinical trials.Established in 1976 as The University of Edinburgh Department of Geriatric Medicine, our research group was renamed to Ageing and Health in 2021. Our group has been led by Professor Gillian Mead since 2023, and we are located at both the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and the Usher Building at Edinburgh BioQuarter. Key People NameRoleAlasdair M. J. MacLullichProfessor of Geriatric MedicineGillian E. MeadPersonal Chair of Stroke and Elderly Care MedicineSusan D. ShenkinPersonal Chair of Healthcare for Older PeopleAtul AnandReaderAlixe KilgourHonorary Senior Clinical LecturerKarolína DuškováGroup Administrator Alumni Research Projects NameYears activeRole within groupResearch topicSzu Chia Huang2024 – [2028]ACRC Academy PhD Student with an integrated studyLife course predictors of increasing care needs in the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 Charlotte Squires2024 – [2028]Age UK/ASDRC PhD StudentPrediction of functional change and care outcomes for older people living with and without multiple long term conditions/frailtyMichaela Gilarova 2023 – [2027]ACRC Academy PhD Student with an integrated study Delirium and sleepJaya Singh Kshatri 2023 – [2027]PhD Student, Maastricht University and Wellcome TrustImproving health outcomes among older adults in India: effectiveness and implementability of a novel comprehensive geriatric health assessment tool Sasha Lewis-Jackson 2022 – [2026]ACRC PhD Student with an integrated studyThe use of restrictive practices with people with diminished capacity in care settings Ki Tong 2022 – [2026]ACRC Academy PhD Student with an integrated study Enabling older people to access green space to improve their health David Vaca-Benavides 2022 – [2026]ACRC PhD Student with an integrated study Portable urinary incontinence management device Carl Bettosi 2021 – [2026]PhD Heriot Watt University, EPSRC The use of socially assistive robots to aid recovery after critical illness Victoria Barber-Fleming2022 – 2025ACRC Academy PhD Student with an integrated study Frailty-how do people’s perception of their own frailty relate to health care professionals’ assessment? Temi Ibitoye2020 – 2025MRC DTP Precision Medicine Delirium as an acute brain injury in hospital patients: Can clinical features and biomarkers predict outcomes? Konstantin Georgiev2021 – 2025MRC DTP Precision Medicine Predicting rehabilitation needs and trajectories in older patients Clare Halpenny 2021 – 2026ACRC PhD Student with an integrated study What happens next? An exploration of trajectories and decision making after hospital discharge Lauren Gillespie 2021 – 2024ACRC Academy MSc with integrated study Katherine Walesby2019 – 2025CCACE/ASDRC Clinical Fellowship Geographical Variation in Dementia Wei Ju2021 – 2025PhD Student, University of Edinburgh Smart Wearable TENS Device for Overactive Bladder Management Emily Ball2018 – 2023PhD Student - MRC Precision Medicine Doctoral Training Scheme Prediction of post-stroke dementia using routine Computed tomography Atul Anand2014 – 2019Chest, Heart and Stroke PhD Fellowship Aortic stenosis in older adults Akila Visvanathan2016 – 2019CSO Training Fellowship Prognostic models for patients with severe stroke Lily McNamee 2015 – 2019 Exercise for Schizophrenia Yvonne Chun2016 – 2019Chief Scientist Office of Scotland Clinical Academic Fellowship Anxiety After Stroke Jenni Burton2018 – 2023CCACE/ASDRC Clinical Fellowship Researching the transition of older adults from hospitals to care homes and the role of cognition Ellen Backhouse2018CCBS Cognitive Ability in Youth, Risk of Stroke and Post-Stroke Dementia in Later Life Sarah Morton2015 – 2017NIHR HTA-RECREATE Study Amanda Barugh2012 – 2017Dunhill funded fellowship The Role of the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal Axis in Delirium and Long-Term Cognitive Impairment After Stroke Simiao Wu2016 Development of an intervention for post-stroke fatigue Dr Sarah McGrory2012 - 2015PhD with the Alzheimer Scotland Dementia Research Centre FellowshipItem Response in Theory in the ACE-RDr Zoe Tieges Senior postdoctoral research fellowMultiple projects on delirium assessment and the neuropsychology of deliriumHaruno McCartney Research AssociateValidation of the 4AT in assessment of recovery from deliriumErin Noble Research AssociateValidation of the 4AT in assessment of recovery from delirium Our research activities and collaborations span preclinical science to clinical trials, with a focus on clinically applicable research on the key geriatric syndromes of cognitive impairment, stroke and frailty. Our work also encompasses the broader field of healthy ageing, and we have strong interdisciplinary links, for example with nurses, allied health professionals, and social scientists, as well as with the Centre for Clinical Brain Sciences and across the Usher Institute, where we are based.Get in touch if you would like to discuss postgraduate opportunities with us. Themes and Keywords Scientific Themes Ageing; Care homes; Dementia/Delirium; Frailty/Sarcopenia; Health Data Research; Multiple Long-Term Conditions; Physical Activity; Stroke Methodology Keywords Database analysis; Mixed methods; Observational Studies; Randomised Clinical Trials; Systematic Reviews & Meta-analysis; Technology Key Projects Heart, Stroke and Circulation Thematic Group | CochraneData Sharing Partnership (CSO Research, Development and Innovation) | Health Innovation South East ScotlandWidening Access to Care Homes (WATCH) | NHS GrampianSurvey is crucial first step in addressing ‘unique ethical challenges facing Scotland’s social care research’ | NHS Research ScotlandData quality, Insight and Relevance - Care Home Data Review | Scottish GovernmentThe Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 Waves 6 and 7 | The University of EdinburghDuration of External Neck Stabilisation | National Institute for Health and Social Care ResearchPROphylactic TrEatment of COVID in Care Homes Trial (PROTECT-CH) | NIHR Funding and AwardsDevelopment and validation of the 4 A's Test (4AT): a new triage tool for delirium | BMC Medicine Key Collaborations Acute Care Edinburgh | The University of EdinburghAdvanced Care Research Centre | The University of EdinburghAGE-WELL - Canada's technology and aging networkBritish Geriatrics Society (BGS)The British & Irish Association of Stroke Physicians (BIASP)Dataloch | The University of EdinburghDepartment of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society | Karolinska InstitutetDunhill Medical Trust / Vivensa FoundationENRICH Scotland | NHS Research ScotlandEuropean Geriatric Medicine Society (EuGMS)Multiple Long-Term Conditions Cross-NIHR Collaboration | National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR)NIHR Evidence Synthesis Scotland InitiativE (NESSIE) | The University of Edinburgh Publications Publications from this research group can be found on group members' Edinburgh Research Explorer pages. Gillian Mead | Edinburgh Research Explorer Susan Shenkin | Edinburgh Research Explorer Alasdair Maclullich | Edinburgh Research Explorer Atul Anand | Edinburgh Research Explorer Alixe Kilgour | Edinburgh Research Explorer Ageing and Health Contact details Email: ageingandhealth@ed.ac.uk This article was published on 2025-09-11
