Ageing: our storyof experience
Excellence with a Purpose
Contents
Taking bold steps into a Changing Age
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1. Our early pioneers
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2. Europe’s largest centre of expertise in ageing
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3. Understanding the science of ageing
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4. Helping healthy ageing
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5. Grey matters
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NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY – AGEING: OUR STORY OF EXPERIENCE
Taking bold steps into a Changing Age Newcastle University is a world leader in research into ageing, its causes, and its social and health consequences. Through our Newcastle Initiative on Changing Age, the University has created an inspiring fusion of medical science and social concern to tackle the immense challenges and opportunities which ageing is generating for humankind. This publication shows the breadth of our activity and introduces some of our experts who are paving the way to improving our understanding, treatment and attitudes to ageing.
Newcastle University’s commitment to understanding ageing and improving the lives of older people extends right across the institution. It represents a major investment by the University into tackling one of society’s greatest challenges: ageing.
Newcastle was one of the first universities to recognise the importance of studying ageing and the impact created by a rising number of older people in the population. Our unique focus has helped raise the profile of ageing as one of the major issues facing communities in this country and throughout the world. The pages that follow introduce the people behind our ageing story. You can read their full interviews on our website: www.ncl.ac.uk/changingage
Professor Chris Day Pro-Vice Chancellor, Faculty of Medical Sciences
1. Professor Doug Turnbull, Professor of Neurology, Director of the Centre for Brain Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle University 2. Professor Lynn Rochester, Professor of Human Movement Science, Newcastle University 3. Dr João Passos (centre), Research in Ageing, Newcastle University
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NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY – AGEING: OUR STORY OF EXPERIENCE
1. Our early pioneers Newcastle University began its research into ageing with pioneering studies on dementia in the 1960s and 70s. This early work was led by giants of medical research such as Professor Sir Bernard Tomlinson, the distinguished neuropathologist, Professor Sir Martin Roth, a pioneer of Old Age Psychiatry, and colleagues including Dr Garry Blessed and Dr David Kay.
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The 1980s and early 90s saw a succession of high-profile appointments and collaborations
One of the main achievements of the Institute for Ageing and Health was in attracting Professor Tom Kirkwood – his arrival was a great catalyst, and the work of Jacobson Professor of Clinical Pharmacology, Gary Ford, has helped revolutionise the way stroke victims are treated.
begin under the leadership of Professor Jim Edwardson, Director of the MRC Neurochemical Pathology Unit. Early career appointments included Professors Elaine and Robert Perry who had made the key discovery that in Alzheimer’s Disease there is a profound loss in the brain of the chemical messenger acetylcholine – a discovery still the basis of the most effective symptomatic treatment of Alzheimer’s. Further appointments and collaborations across a wide range of disciplines including old age medicine and social gerontology led in 1994 to the launch of the University’s first multidisciplinary
Professor Oliver James retired Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Medical Sciences
research institute, The Institute for Ageing and Health (IAH), with Professor Edwardson as Director – elevating a once ‘Cinderella’ area of research into a major force. Over the next decade the Institute has grown and now forms the heart of Europe’s largest multidisciplinary site into ageing – the Newcastle Campus for Ageing and Vitality. In 2009 Newcastle’s work in the field of ageing gained national recognition with the award of a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education.
1. From left to right: Professor Ian McKeith (Old Age Psychiatry), Professor Rose Anne Kenny (Geriatric Medicine), Professor Jim Edwardson (Director of the IAH), and Professor John Bond (Social Gerontology) looking at plans for the first IAH building in the 90s. 2. Professor Tom Kirkwood, Associate Dean for Ageing (left), and Professor Chris Brink, Vice-Chancellor (right) of Newcastle University, receiving the Queen’s Anniversary Prize.
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3 If we don’t take action quickly enough, in the right kind of way, then what is unquestionably humanity’s greatest success – doubling life expectancy in the last 200 years – could become a real problem. Professor Tom Kirkwood, Dean for Ageing and Director of the Newcastle Initiative on Changing Age, Newcastle University
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At the Campus for Ageing and Vitality we are linking those companies and their ideas to the research base of the University, and helping them build their projects. Mike Morgan, Business Development Manager of Changing Age for Business, Newcastle University
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY – AGEING: OUR STORY OF EXPERIENCE
For small- and medium-sized businesses it’s about waking up to the fact that the world is changing around you, with the population ageing and their needs being neglected. So you can’t continue on in the same fashion, because if you do you will lose market share.
2. Europe’s largest centre of expertise in ageing Today, the Newcastle Campus for Ageing and Vitality is a globally unique, large-scale development bringing together world-leading scientific and medical research with innovative health care, industry, civic agencies, and the public. The Campus, created through the Newcastle Biomedicine partnership between Newcastle
Graham Armitage, Deputy Director of the Newcastle Initiative on Changing Age
University and the Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, aims to lead in finding new solutions to the many challenges and opportunities of ageing populations. The University’s Institute for Ageing and Health is based in the Academic Quarter where one of the major funders has been the Wellcome Trust. It features a series of unique facilities including: the Henry Wellcome Laboratories for Biogerontology; the Biomedical Research Centre and Biomedical Research Unit; and the Clinical Ageing Research Unit where early detection of agerelated disease and intervention treatments is carried out. It also hosts the Newcastle Brain Tissue Resource. Business and retail quarters are also being developed on the Campus. Businesses are being helped to take advantage of the massive opportunities to provide older people – the largest growing section of the population – with the products and services they need to maintain independent, good-quality lives. Changing Age for Business was created by the University to provide access to our extensive expertise to help firms seize those opportunities. This includes incubator space for 15 ‘agerelated’ businesses to work on projects alongside University researchers.
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NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY – AGEING: OUR STORY OF EXPERIENCE
One of the first companies to locate to the Campus for Ageing and Vitality is ADL Smartcare. Founded by Newcastle University’s Professor of Practice, Peter Gore, it matches older people to the assistive technologies they need to help overcome physical problems and improve their quality of life. ADL Smartcare was created to provide local authorities with a much cheaper way of assessing
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what older people need to live independently.
We’re about healthy ageing here, so we want to get help to people before they’re desperate, because that’s how they age better. Professor Peter Gore, Professor of Practice, Newcastle University
Located next to the research quarter of the Campus is a unique approach to patient care for older people. Clinics for Research and Service in Themed Assessment (CRESTAs) are a one-stop shop of excellence for older people with complex diseases – a first in the UK; it brings experts in ageing together to treat patients under one roof.
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY our
ageing story
7 I’m keen to develop an academic care home and rehabilitation centre, complete with leading-edge assistive technologies. This would also become a centre of excellence for teaching at Newcastle. Professor David Burn, Director, IAH
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY – AGEING: OUR STORY OF EXPERIENCE
3. Understanding the science of ageing Unravelling the biological reasons why people age is at the heart of our efforts to address the challenges of ageing.
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Twenty years ago people would have said there’s nothing you can do about dementia. Now we are in a position where there are many things we can do. Each has a limited effect, but including drug treatments and other things, we are making a change.
Our researchers lead the world in explaining the evolutionary genetics of ageing and in harnessing state-of-the-art techniques to unpick the complex molecular mechanisms that lead to age-related frailty, disability and disease. The pioneering work of our Centre for Integrated Systems Biology of Ageing and Nutrition has inspired a growing number of groups worldwide. Newcastle University was first to identify dementia with Lewy bodies more than 20 years ago, and it continues today to explore treatments for this and other forms of dementia such as Alzheimer’s Disease. The Newcastle Brain Tissue Resource is one of the leading repositories for tissue from aged brains in the world. Researchers use the tissue to investigate why brain cells degenerate to cause dementia. As cells age, they may cause fibrosis, or scarring, in any organ of the body. We are discovering how fibrosis interacts with so-called “senescent” cells, to undermine the capacity to regenerate tissue in damaged organs as people get older. Global research on cellular senescence, fibrosis and tissue inflammation is gathering pace and our expertise is playing a key role in potentially important breakthroughs.
Professor Ian McKeith Professor of Old Age Psychiatry
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY – AGEING: OUR STORY OF EXPERIENCE
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY our
ageing story
For so many diseases of importance in today’s medicine, age is the single biggest risk factor. Our research on the basic science of ageing is beginning to discover the deep links that connect ageing and disease, which seem likely to open whole new approaches to therapy in the future. Arthritis is one of the commonest complaints in old age, with 70 per cent of those aged over 70 suffering from it in one or more joints. Our specialists are examining why the cartilage in joints fails to replenish itself as we age, resulting in the painful condition osteoarthritis. They are searching both for the causes of arthritis and therapies for preventing or treating it. This includes modifying stem cells to produce cartilage. Newcastle’s Professor Andrew McCaskie and his engineering colleague Professor Kenneth Dalgarno lead a multidisciplinary team creating novel ‘scaffolds’ in which the stem cells can grow. Major funders of this research have included the Medical Research Council and Arthritis Research UK, which has funded the Tissue Engineering Centre.
If you can find ways of promoting regeneration when it is diminished, as in an older person, then you will be able to counteract the fibrotic process. Professor Derek Mann Professor of Hepatology, Newcastle University
We need good imaging, so we can tell how quickly joints are deteriorating. We need good biomarkers to tell us what is happening in the joint. And we need new treatments that will prevent the damage. If we succeed in these things it will make a huge difference to a very large number of people. Professor Tim Cawston, William Leech Professor of Rheumatology and Director of the Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal Ageing
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NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY – AGEING: OUR STORY OF EXPERIENCE
Genetics is also being harnessed to probe the factors that lie behind the inheritance of human longevity. Newcastle is part of a major European effort – the Genetics of Healthy Ageing (GEHA) project – which is trying to track down the genes that influence longevity and health. The GEHA study has now recruited nearly 3,000 families across Europe in which two or more brothers and sisters have lived past 90. One of the clues to the complex causes of ageing could be found in the malfunctioning of tiny organelles within the cells of our bodies. Investigations into mitochondria, which are responsible
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for converting fats, carbohydrates and oxygen into energy, have shown that our cells contain fewer mitochondria if we lead sedentary lives, or become less energetic as we grow older. Our research at the Wellcome Trust Centre suggests that damage to mitochondrial DNA is one of the things contributing to the ageing process and that regular exercise could be one of the things that can help improve mitochondrial function. Probe even deeper into our cells and we find telomeres – complex strands of molecules found on the ends of chromosomes in the nucleus of body cells. They can be likened to the protective plastic caps found at the ends of shoelaces. Pioneering research at Newcastle has revealed how oxidative damage shortens these telomeres, possibly causing age-related diseases. Our medical teams are now using telomere lengths as a biomarker – that is, as a way of identifying the risk of age-related diseases developing. Newcastle’s reputation as a centre of excellence in ageing is helping to attract researchers from across the world eager to work alongside established experts in this growing field and with access to the best facilities. When João Passos, from Portugal, was looking for a university where he could study for his doctorate, he could have chosen anywhere in the world. He chose, however, to come to Newcastle and is now carrying out independent research in cellular ageing and has brought colleagues from Portugal to bolster his team.
What is ageing? At the cellular level, there’s something about that cell which makes it grow old and not repair itself. A potential solution to this is the stem cell, which can renew itself while turning into the cells of the organ of which it is part. Professor Patrick Chinnery Professor of Neurogenetics, Director of the Institute of Genetic Medicine
There is some evidence that once we get past a certain age the mitochondrial mutations in tissues begin accumulating more rapidly. Professor Doug Turnbull Professor of Neurology, Director of the Centre for Brain Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle University
11 We are at a point now where we significantly better understand what ageing in a multicellular organism really is, and where it comes from. Professor Thomas von Zglinicki Professor of Cellular Gerontology, Newcastle University
When I came to Newcastle I was impressed by everything I saw. All aspects of ageing are being researched here, so this is the place I want to be. Dr Jo達o Passos Research in Ageing, Newcastle University
There is an interesting and emerging body of work that shows that moving and keeping active is critical to protect us as we age. The more we can give people tools to allow that to happen, the better. Professor Lynn Rochester Professor of Human Movement Science, Newcastle University
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An eating pattern which has plenty of fruit and vegetables, not too much meat, some fish, not too much fat and modest alcohol consumption, is associated with people living longer. Professor John Mathers Professor of Human Nutrition
It would be difficult to find anywhere in this country where there would be the same professional buzz, skills mix and facilities to do this as there now is in Newcastle. Professor Louise Robinson Professor of Primary Care and Ageing, Newcastle University and GP
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY – AGEING: OUR STORY OF EXPERIENCE
4. Helping healthy ageing In addition to understanding the science of ageing, our researchers are
Working closely with MoveLab, our movement scientists have developed
exploring how changes in lifestyle and behaviour can have a major impact
sophisticated technologies and techniques for measuring gait and analysing
on how we age. One important area is understanding how nutrition
the results. This is providing valuable insights into the locomotive and
influences the accumulation of damage to cells as we age and finding
cognitive functions of the brains of people who may be suffering from the
interventions to limit the effect of this damage.
early stages of conditions such as Parkinson’s Disease and dementia.
The Newcastle Livewell programme is focusing on how to help people
Predicting the onset of diseases could enable researchers to develop
modify their behaviour in relation to three components: diet, physical activity
interventions to slow down the rate at which they take hold and improve
and social connectedness to improve healthy ageing.
the lives of patients.
One of the biggest threats to our health and well-being is inactivity. The cost
One of the potential tools, which is being piloted in Newcastle, is developing
of treating diabetes is a staggering £10.3 billion a year – around 10 per cent
specific computer games for the Microsoft Kinect system, with its
of the entire NHS budget. However, patients with type 2 diabetes can walk
movement sensor, for use by Parkinson’s sufferers.
45 minutes every day and get the same improvement in blood glucose control as from a major class of drugs. Our research shows very clearly that movement in older people improves balance, physical performance and cognition.
We’ve got the top qualified clinical physical activity and exercise team in the UK. We work together to tackle a simple problem: how to move more and sit less. Professor Mike Trenell, Director of MoveLab, Newcastle University
Another area of research is looking into the cause of blackouts among older people. This tests the effectiveness of a drug called Adenosine, used throughout the world to manage fast heart rates.
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NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY – AGEING: OUR STORY OF EXPERIENCE
Fear of falling is one of the most widespread problems among older people, confining many to their homes, causing them to suffer prolonged periods of social isolation. Around 30 per cent of all older people suffer from falls and, as a consequence, about half of them develop a fear of falling. Novel cognitive behaviour therapy is being investigated at Newcastle to improve older people’s sense
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of confidence and well-being, enabling them to get out and about again.
Newcastle now has great influence nationally and internationally. There’s more powerful work that needs to be done across a whole swathe of medical disciplines, given the changing demographic over the next 20 or 30 years. Dr Steve Parry Clinical Director, Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Our research into ageing is also influencing the care patients receive in their doctor’s surgery. A goal is to create a centre of excellence at Newcastle University for training GPs, hospital staff, community nurses and others in all aspects of dementia care.
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY – AGEING: OUR STORY OF EXPERIENCE
What we do is to design cutting-edge digital technologies and apply them in ways that technology companies typically don’t yet do. Professor Paul Watson Professor of Computing Science and Director of SiDE, Newcastle University
Imagine a kitchen where most of the fittings and utensils – the fridge, oven, kettle, pans, carving knives and even the floor – are fitted with sensors that can monitor your every move. That describes the Ambient Kitchen developed by digital scientists and engineers at Newcastle University through the Social Inclusion through the Digital Economy (SiDE) programme. SiDE is devising assistive technologies that could help people with agerelated conditions and help them live for longer and more safely in their own homes. Creative arts are playing an increasingly powerful role in helping the public become aware of ageing and its challenges and also to change perceptions of older people. A major exhibition, Coming of Age – the Art and Science of Ageing, commissioned powerful new works by three leading artists who were
What we hope to show through our ‘Ageing Creatively’ project is that visual arts, music and creative writing can have a measurable impact on the well-being of older people and combating social isolation. Professor Eric Cross Dean of Cultural Affairs, Newcastle University
inspired by spending time with Newcastle University researchers. The exhibition also showed how ageing affected famous artists, such as Renoir and Degas, and featured striking nude images of older people. Our researchers are also studying the impact of the arts on older people’s well-being. One project involves a popular dance from the streets of Mexico which is shown to improve the behaviour and mood of people with dementia.
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NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY – AGEING: OUR STORY OF EXPERIENCE
5. Grey matters Influencing policy and changing attitudes to older people is an important
The University has hosted the Regional Forum on Ageing, since its creation
area of our work into ageing, which has included the BBC Reith Lectures,
in 2005, and provides a voice on issues of concern to older people –
advising the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee,
influencing government thinking.
and the UK Foresight Report on ‘Mental Capital Through Life’. A key feature of our effort includes capturing the views and experience of older
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people and shaping services to better suit their needs. Major changes will be needed in the way health and social care services are provided and in how resources are spent. Our research is providing the evidence to improve health and social services and offering medical understanding and guidance to the pensions and insurance industry. The mental capital and experience of older people is a vast resource that society needs to harness for the common good. The Newcastle Initiative on Changing Age is focused on the challenges of ageing and demographic change, and also the need to value much more seriously the experience and knowledge of older people and engage with them to a much greater degree. This is distilled in the Newcastle Charter for Changing Age.
The University has also established two flagship projects that provide a unique insight into older people and ageing. The Newcastle 85+ Study, launched in 2006, has made an exceptional contribution to filling the previous gap of detailed knowledge about the health and well-being of those aged 85 and over. It is one of the most comprehensive studies of its kind in the world, combining the great power of our multidisciplinary expertise in ageing with the distinctive qualities of the National Health Service as a framework for such research. VOICE North – Valuing Our Intellectual Capital and Experience – is a group of over 1,500 older people across the North East of England, recruited by Newcastle to help with our research. They are a formidable force in offering ideas, advice and guidance on issues affecting older people.
There is nothing else that I know of in Europe or globally where there is such diversity of activity focused around such an important societal challenge – ageing and demographic change. Dr Lynne Corner Director of Engagement, NICA
What is happening, certainly within the UK at the moment, is that life expectancy is increasing, but healthy life expectancy at older ages is not increasing as fast. Professor Carol Jagger AXA Professor of Epidemiology of Ageing, Newcastle University
My major interest now is the question of how society can draw on the intellectual and mental capital, and the lifetime experience of its older people. Professor Jim Edwardson retired founding Director of the IAH and Chair of Voice North
Contact us: Newcastle Initiative on Changing Age 2nd Floor, Newcastle Biomedical Research Building Newcastle University Campus for Ageing and Vitality Newcastle upon Tyne NE4 5PL United Kingdom Telephone: +44 (0) 191 208 1142 E-mail: changingage@ncl.ac.uk Web: www.ncl.ac.uk/changingage
This brochure is for information and guidance purposes only. Details are correct at the time of printing (January 2013). Photography by Mike Urwin. Designed by GDA, Northumberland. Printed by Statex Colour Print. Š Newcastle University, 2013. The University of Newcastle upon Tyne trading as Newcastle University.