Staff Profile

I am a Research Assistant in Medical Statistics with the AGE Research Group in the Translational and Clinical Research Institute. I also contribute to the Ageing, Sarcopenia and Multimorbidity Theme within Newcastle BRC.

For a comprehensive list of my publications, please see https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4860-671X.

I am currently providing statistical and data management support to a number of projects in the AGE Research Group, including the Muscle Ageing Sarcopenia Study (MASS_Lifecourse) into how risk factors throughout the lifecourse influence the development of sarcopenia.

• Articles

  • Granic A, Cooper R, Hurst C, Hillman SJ, Dodds RM, Witham MD, Sayer AA. Cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between glycaemic measures and grip strength in people without diabetes in the UK Biobank cohort study. European Geriatric Medicine 2025, 16, 67-77.
  • Witham MD, Bartle V, Bellass S, Bunn JG, Cartner D, Cordell HJ, Doal R, Evison F, Gallier S, Harris S, Hillman SJ, Holding R, Leroux P, Marshall T, Matthews FE, Missier P, Nair A, Osman M, Pearson ER, Plummer C, Pretorius S, Richardson SJ, Robinson SM, Sapey E, Scharf T, Shah R, Shahmandi M, Singer M, Suklan J, Wason JMS, Cooper R, Sayer AA. Building ADMISSION – a research collaborative to transform understanding of multiple long-term conditions for people admitted to hospital. Journal of Multimorbidity and Comorbidity 2025, 15.
  • Bunn JG, Steell L, Hillman SJ, Witham MD, Sayer AA, Cooper R. Approaches to characterising multimorbidity in older people accessing hospital care: a scoping review. European Geriatric Medicine 2025, Epub ahead of print.
  • Hurst C, Dismore L, Granic A, Noble JM, Hillman SJ, Witham MD, Sayer AA, Dodds RM, Robinson SM. The feasibility and acceptability of engaging older adults living with multiple long-term conditions, frailty, and a recent deterioration in health in research: Findings from the Lifestyle in Later Life – Older People’s Medicine (LiLL-OPM) study. BMC Geriatrics 2024, 24, 831.
  • Cooper R, Bunn JG, Richardson SJ, Hillman SJ, Sayer AA, Witham MD. Rising to the challenge of defining and operationalising multimorbidity in a UK hospital setting: the ADMISSION research collaborative. European Geriatric Medicine 2024, 15, 853-860.
  • Hillman SJ, Dodds RM, Granic A, Witham MD, Sayer AA, Cooper R. Identifying combinations of long-term conditions associated with sarcopenia: a cross-sectional decision tree analysis in the UK Biobank study. BMJ Open 2024, 14, e085204.
  • Dodds RM, Bunn JG, Hillman SJ, Granic A, Murray J, Witham MD, Robinson SM, Cooper R, Sayer AA. Simple approaches to characterising multiple long-term conditions (multimorbidity) and rates of emergency hospital admission: Findings from 495,465 UK Biobank participants. Journal of Internal Medicine 2023, 293(1), 100-109.
  • Granic A, Cooper R, Dodds RM, Hillman SJ, Sayer AA, Robinson SM. Milk intake across adulthood and muscle strength decline from mid- to late life: the MRC National Survey of Health and Development. British Journal of Nutrition 2023, 129(5), 820-831.
  • Hurst C, Dismore L, Granic A, Tullo E, Noble JM, Hillman SJ, Witham MD, Sayer AA, Dodds RM, Robinson SM. Feasibility of engaging older adults living with multiple long-term conditions, frailty, and a recent deterioration in health in a study of lifestyle: protocol for the LiLL-OPM study. Journal of Frailty, Sarcopenia and Falls 2023, 8(2), 127-135.
  • Hurst C, Dismore L, Granic A, Tullo E, Noble JM, Hillman SJ, Witham MD, Sayer AA, Dodds R, Robinson SM. Attitudes and barriers to resistance exercise training for older adults living with multiple long-term conditions, frailty, and a recent deterioration in health: Qualitative findings from the Lifestyle in Later Life – Older People’s Medicine (LiLL-OPM) study. BMC Geriatrics 2023, 23, 771.
  • Habiballa L, Hruby A, Granic A, Dodds RM, Hillman SJ, Jurk D, Passos JF, Sayer AA. Determining the feasibility of characterising cellular senescence in human skeletal muscle and exploring associations with muscle morphology and physical function at different ages: findings from the MASS_Lifecourse Study. GeroScience 2023, 46, 1141–1158.
  • Dodds RM, Hurst C, Hillman SJ, Davies K, Roberts L, Aspray TJ, Granic A, Sayer AA. Advancing our understanding of skeletal muscle across the lifecourse: Protocol for the MASS_Lifecourse study and characteristics of the first 80 participants. Experimental Gerontology 2022, 166, 111884.
  • Hurst C, Murray JC, Granic A, Hillman SJ, Cooper R, Sayer AA, Robinson SM, Dodds RM. Long-term conditions, multimorbidity, lifestyle factors and change in grip strength over 9 years of follow-up: findings from 44,315 UK Biobank participants. Age and Ageing 2021, 50(6), 2222-2229.
  • Hillman SJ, Hollington J, Crossan N, Torres-Sánchez C. Correlation of ISO 16840-2:2007 impact damping and hysteresis measures for a sample of wheelchair seating cushions. Assistive Technology 2018, 30(2), 77-83.
  • Hillman SJ, Hollington J. A quantitative measurement method for comparison of seated postures. Medical Engineering and Physics 2016, 38(5), 485-489.
  • Hollington J, Hillman SJ, Torres-Sanchez C, Boeckx J, Crossan N. ISO 16840-2:2007 load deflection and hysteresis measurements for a sample of wheelchair seating cushions. Medical Engineering and Physics 2014, 36(4), 509-515.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstract)

  • Birkbeck MG, Hillman S, Hurst C, Granic A, Aspray T, Sayer AA, Dodds RM. Assessing changes in physical activity in community dwelling older adults before and after COVID-19 restrictions in the United Kingdom. In: International Sarcopenia Translational Research Conference 2021. 2021, Virtual: Hylonome Publications.