I am based in the AGE Research Group and my research focuses on a life course approach to multimorbidity and sarcopenia, including the mechanisms involved in the loss of muscle strength and mass in mid-life and old age.

I am PI for the MASS_Lifecourse Study which seeks to improve our understanding of the age-related changes in human skeletal muscle. 

I also use data from a range of cohorts to investigate ageing syndromes including UK Biobank, CFAS II, the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing and MRC National Survey of Health and Development.

Research impact

The normative data for grip strength from my PhD have been cited over 250 times and have been used as a population reference in multiple other studies. The cut-points I proposed for grip strength have been incorporated into the revised European consensus definition for sarcopenia.

• 2020 Best Oral Communication Award – European Geriatrics Medicine Society Congress
• 2020 Rising Star Award for Research – British Geriatrics Society
• 2014 Woodford-Williams Prize for best platform presentation at British Geriatrics Society

• Dodds RM, Murray JC, Granic A, Hurst C, Uwimpuhwe G, Richardson S, Brayne C, Matthews FE, Sayer AA, CFAS MRC. Prevalence and factors associated with poor performance in the 5-chair stand test: findings from the Cognitive Function and Ageing Study II (CFAS II) and proposed Newcastle protocol for use in the assessment of sarcopenia. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle 2021, 12(2), 308-318.
• Garrard JW, Cox NJ, Dodds RM, Roberts HC, Sayer AA. Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment in Primary Care: A systematic review. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 2020, 32(2), 197-205.
• Witham MD, Wason J, Dodds RM, Sayer AA. Developing a composite outcome measure for frailty prevention trials – rationale, derivation and sample size comparison with other candidate measures. BMC Geriatrics 2020, 20, 113.
• Granic A, Martin-Ruiz C, Dodds RM, Robinson L, Spyridopoulos I, Kirkwood TBL, von Zglinicki T, Sayer AA. Immunosenescence profiles are not associated with muscle strength, physical performance and sarcopenia risk in very old adults: The Newcastle 85+ Study. Mechanisms of Ageing and Development 2020, 190, 111321.
• Tullo E, Dodds RM, Birkbeck M, Habiballa L, Aihie Sayer A. Paving the translational ageing research pathway—training the next generation of researchers. Age and Ageing 2021, 50(2), 362-365.
• Lim S, Ibrahim K, Dodds R, Purkis A, Baxter M, Rogers A, Sayer AA, Roberts HC. Physical activity in hospitalised older people: the feasibility and acceptability of a volunteer-led mobility intervention in the SoMoVe™ study. Age and Ageing 2020, 49(2), 283-291.
• Dodds RM, Granic A, Robinson SM, Sayer AA. Sarcopenia, long-term conditions and multimorbidity: findings from UK Biobank participants. Journal of Cachexia Sarcopenia and Muscle 2020, 11(1), 62-68.
• Thompson C, Dodds RM. The ageing syndromes of sarcopenia and frailty. Medicine 2021, 49(1), 6-9.
• Yarnall AJ, Granic A, Waite S, Hollingsworth KG, Warren C, Vincent AE, Turnbull DM, Taylor RW, Dodds RM, Sayer AA. The feasibility of muscle mitochondrial respiratory chain phenotyping across the cognitive spectrum in Parkinson’s disease. Experimental Gerontology 2020, 138, 110997.
• Dodds RM, Murray JC, Robinson SM, Sayer AA. The identification of probable sarcopenia in early old age based on the SARC-F tool and clinical suspicion: findings from the 1946 British Birth Cohort. European Geriatric Medicine 2020, 11, 433-441.
• Birkbeck MG, Blamire AM, Whittaker RG, Sayer AA, Dodds RM. The role of novel motor unit magnetic resonance imaging to investigate motor unit activity in ageing skeletal muscle. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle 2020, 12(1), 17-29.
• Offord NJ, Clegg A, Turner G, Dodds RM, Sayer AA, Witham MD. Current practice in the diagnosis and management of sarcopenia and frailty – results from a UK-wide survey. Journal of Frailty, Sarcopenia and Falls 2019, 4(3), 71-77.
• Granic A, Davies K, Dodds RM, Duncan R, Uwimpuhwe G, Pakpahan E, Robinson S, Sayer AA. Factors associated with change in self-reported physical activity in the very old: The Newcastle 85+ Study. PLoS ONE 2019, 14(7), e0218881.
• Dodds RM. Letter to the Editor. JCSM Rapid Communications 2019.
• Todd OM, Burton JK, Dodds RM, Hollinghurst J, Lyons RA, Quinn TJ, Schneider A, Walesby KE, Wilkinson C, Conroy S, Gale CP, Hall M, Walters K, Clegg AP. New Horizons in the use of routine data for ageing research. Age and Ageing 2020, 49(5), 716-722.
• Dodds RM, Pakpahan E, Granic A, Davies K, Sayer AA. The recent secular trend in grip strength among older adults: findings from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. European Geriatric Medicine 2019, 10(3), 395-401.
• Westbury LD, Dodds RM, Syddall HE, Baczynska AM, Shaw SC, Dennison EM, Roberts HC, Sayer AA, Cooper C, Patel HP. Associations Between Objectively Measured Physical Activity, Body Composition and Sarcopenia: Findings from the Hertfordshire Sarcopenia Study (HSS). Calcified Tissue International 2018, 103(3), 237-245.
• Dodds RM, Kuh D, Sayer AA, Cooper R. Can measures of physical performance in mid-life improve the clinical prediction of disability in early old age? Findings from a British birth cohort study. Experimental Gerontology 2018, 110, 118-124.
• Granic A, Mossop H, Engstrom G, Davies K, Dodds R, Galvin JE, Ouslander JG, Tappen R, Sayer AA. Factors associated with physical performance measures in a multiethnic cohort of older adults. Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine 2018, 4, 1-14.
• Dodds RM, Davies K, Granic A, Hollingsworth KG, Warren C, Gorman G, Turnbull DM, Sayer AA. Mitochondrial respiratory chain function and content are preserved in the skeletal muscle of active very old men and women. Experimental Gerontology 2018, 113, 80-85.
• Lim SER, Dodds R, Bacon D, Sayer AA, Roberts HC. Physical activity among hospitalised older people: insights from upper and lower limb accelerometry. Aging Clinical and Experimental Research 2018, 30(11), 1363-1369.
• Shenkin SD, Harrison JK, Wilkinson T, Dodds RM, Ioannidis JPA. Corrigendum: Systematic reviews: guidance relevant for studies of older people. Age and Ageing 2017, 46(5), 722-728.
• Granic A, Davies K, Jagger C, Dodds R, Kirkwood TBL, Sayer AA. Initial level and rate of change in grip strength predict all-cause mortality in very old adults. Age and Ageing 2017, 46(6), 970-976.
• Rygiel KA, Dodds RM, Patel HP, Syddall HE, Westbury LD, Granic A, Cooper C, Cliff J, Rocha MC, Turnbull DM, Sayer AA. Mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiency in older men and its relationship with muscle mass and performance. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle - Clinical Reports 2017, 2(2), e00035.
• Syddall HE, Westbury L, Dodds R, Dennison EM, Cooper C, Sayer AA. Mortality in the Hertfordshire Ageing Study: association with level and loss of grip strength in later life. Age and Ageing 2017, 46(3), 407-412.
• Dodds RM, Granic A, Davies K, Kirkwood TBL, Jagger C, Sayer AA. Prevalence and incidence of sarcopenia in the very old: findings from the Newcastle 85+ Study. Journal of Cachexia, Sarcopenia and Muscle 2017, 8(2), 229-237.
• Shenkin SD, Harrison JK, Wilkinson T, Dodds RM, Ioannidis JPA. Systematic reviews: Guidance relevant for studies of older people. Age and Ageing 2017, 46(5), 722-728.
• Dodds RM, Sayer AA. Editorial: Sarcopenia, frailty and mortality: the evidence is growing. Age and Ageing 2016, 45(5), 570-571.
• Dodds RM, Syddall HE, Cooper R, Kuh D, Cooper C, Sayer AA. Global variation in grip strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis of normative data. Age and Ageing 2016, 45(2), 209-216.
• Dodds RM, Sayer AA. Sarcopenia and frailty: New challenges for clinical practice. Clinical Medicine 2016, 16(5), 455-458.
• Roberts HC, Dodds R, Sayer AA. Current Clinical Care of Older Adults With Sarcopenia. Journal of Clinical Densitometry 2015, 18(4), 493-498.
• Simmonds SJ, Syddall HE, Westbury LD, Dodds RM, Cooper C, Aihie Sayer A. Grip strength among community-dwelling older people predicts hospital admission during the following decade. Age and Ageing 2015, 44(6), 954-959.
• Dodds R, Roberts HC, Sayer AA, Cooper C. The Epidemiology of Sarcopenia. Journal of Clinical Densitometry 2015, 18(4), 461-466.
• Dodds RM, Syddall HE, Cooper R, Benzeval M, Deary IJ, Dennison EM, Der G, Gale CR, Inskip HM, Jagger C, Kirkwood TB, Lawlor DA, Robinson SM, Starr JM, Steptoe A, Tilling K, Kuh D, Cooper C, Sayer AA. Grip Strength across the Life Course: Normative Data from Twelve British Studies. PLoS ONE 2014, 9(12), e113637.
• Dodds RM, Aihie Sayer A. Sarcopenia. Arquivos Brasileiros de Endocrinologia & Metabologia 2014, 58(5), 464-469.
• Denison HJ, Syddall HE, Dodds R, Martin HJ, Finucane FM, Griffin SJ, Wareham NJ, Cooper C, Sayer AA. Effects of aerobic exercise on muscle strength and physical performance in community-dwelling older people from the Hertfordshire cohort study: a randomized controlled trial. J Am Geriatr Soc 2013, 61(6), 1034-6.
• Denison HJ, Dodds RM, Ntani G, Cooper R, Cooper C, Sayer AA, Baird J. How to get started with a systematic review in epidemiology: an introductory guide for early career researchers. Archives of Public Health 2013, 71, 1-8.
• Dodds R, Kuh D, AihieSayer A, Cooper R. Physical activity levels across adult life and grip strength in early old age: updating findings from a British birth cohort. Age Ageing 2013, 42(6), 794-8.
• Dodds R, Denison HJ, Ntani G, Cooper R, Cooper C, Sayer AA, Baird J. Birth weight and muscle strength: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Nutr Health Aging 2012, 52(7), 609-15.
• Dodds R, Macdonald-Wallis C, Kapasi T, Sayer AA, Robinson S, Godfrey K, Cooper C, Harvey N, Inskip H, SWSStudy Team. Grip strength at 4 years in relation to birth weight. J Dev Orig Health Dis 2012, 3(2), 111-5.
• Refsum C, Kumarapeli P, Gunaratne A, Dodds R, Hasan A, de Lusignan S. Measuring the impact of different brands of computer systems on the clinical consultation: a pilot study. Journal of Innovation in Health Informatics 2008, 16(2), 119-127.