Ageing and Health
Helping people live longer, healthier lives.
Better care and treatment for people with dementia
Our researchers have transformed the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of Dementia with Lewy bodies.
Improving outcomes for rare disease patients
Through NE BRIDGE we’re accelerating the development of new therapies to improve outcomes for people across the UK and beyond.
Newcastle University Centre for Ageing (NUAGE)
NUAGE is a cross-university research centre that advances our understanding of ageing as a universal human experience. It builds on the Newcastle University Centre of Research Excellence for Ageing and Inequalities (2020–2025).
NUAGE brings together researchers from medical and social sciences, arts and humanities, engineering, and computing. It brings different disciplines and infrastructure together to transform ageing.
National Innovation Centre for Ageing
We host the National Innovation Centre for Ageing. It develops products and services that help people live better for longer.
The centre also hosts its sister organisation VOICE®, a unique citizen engagement network. Members share their lived experience to focus research and drive innovation.
National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre
Our NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) partners with both Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust. It is funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). Its research drives forward health improvements in ageing and multiple long-term conditions.
We have a long history of excellence in translational research. We’re one of only a few university and NHS partnerships to have been awarded NIHR BRC status in every funding round since 2007.
The Newcastle centre is the only BRC in England dedicated to the study of ageing and multiple long-term conditions. It focuses on early phase translational research that benefits patients, the public, and the health and care system.
Newcastle Health Research Partnership
We’re a lead partner in the Newcastle Health Research Partnership that was launched in 2020. The partnership aims to address health inequalities, improve population health, and generate economic growth.
As a designated Academic Health Science Centre (AHSC), we promote collaboration across health and care research, innovation, education, and training. This includes brokering new research and education activities, as well as facilitating streamlined joint-working arrangements.
Excellence in medicine
Our School of Medicine is one of the largest integrated medical teaching and hospital complexes in the UK. Our medical school covers the North East of England and Cumbria, including Clinical Learning centres across all NHS trusts.
The school generates high-quality research in clinical, medical, and medical sciences education. Its research improves practice, deepens understanding and informs policy.
Newcastle University Medicine Malaysia
Newcastle University Medicine (NUMed) Malaysia delivers high-quality medical and biomedical education. We are the first UK university to establish a fully owned international branch campus for medicine and biomedical sciences.
NUMed Malaysia’s research focusses on applied health, cancer, and medical education.
Through close collaboration with patients, clinicians, and scientists across the globe, the University’s work has elevated Dementia with Lewy bodies from an overlooked condition to a clearly defined, diagnosable, and increasingly treatable disease.
Major achievements
We have a strong record of internationally recognised, impactful research.
Our work spans prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. It is underpinned by lived experience and a clear focus on improving lives.
Some recent achievements include:
- advancing the clinical and pathological diagnosis of Dementia with Lewy bodies, leading to improved detection, care, and treatment
- improving the diagnosis of sarcopenia by informing international clinical standards for the assessment of age-related muscle loss
- developing a pioneering IVF technique to prevent the transmission of mitochondrial disease, protecting future generations from inherited conditions
- delivering world-leading cancer drug discovery and development programmes, including:
- Rubraca™ - an ovarian cancer treatment whose development can be traced from discovery research at Newcastle to licensed therapeutic use
- Balversa™ - a targeted bladder cancer therapy developed in partnership with industry through the identification of key genetic drivers
- transforming the management of type 2 diabetes by demonstrating that the condition can be reversed in many patients
Researchers have also contributed to major advances in understanding healthy ageing and multiple long-term conditions. They have supported the development of national policy through NIHR infrastructure. They have also driven innovation in housing, work, and care to improve quality of life for older people.
Spin out companies
Our work in ageing and health has led to the development of several spin out companies. We are proud to create sustainable companies and high quality jobs in our region. Spin outs include:
- AMLo Biosciences – dedicated to providing a prognostic test for early melanoma to better identify a patient’s true risk of disease progression
- Alcyomics – a pre-clinical service provider of non-artificial human skin explants for safety and efficacy assessment of novel compounds and drugs
- Aelius Biotech – a contract research company specialising in modelling the mucosal surfaces of the aerodigestive tract
- e-Therapeutics - accelerating drug discovery through a novel view of disease networks
- FibroFind - provides world class research solutions in liver, kidney and lung disease
- MarraBio – who design, engineer, and construct bacterial protein polymers, that contain the biological messages that cells need to grow, divide and behave properly
- Newcells Biotech – offering high quality cells and services for customers engaged in drug discovery, pre-clinical development, and disease mechanism investigation
Education for life
Our Education for Life strategy provides an engaging, challenging, and supportive environment that helps students reach their potential.
Our Centre for Ageing contributes to research-led teaching across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, embedding ageing throughout the curriculum. This includes:
- Ageing and Health, MRes
- Ageing Across the Life Course module within our Master of Public Health
- Language and Ageing module in the School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics
Ageing is also integrated into Medical and Biomedical Sciences programmes.
The Centre also plays a key role in doctoral training, contributing to programmes such as the Alzheimer’s Society Doctoral Training Centre on Lewy Body Dementia and the Dunhill Medical Trust Doctoral Training Programme. These initiatives support the next generation of researchers working on ageing and age-related conditions.
Beyond formal education, the Centre delivers training, workshops, and capacity-building activities for early- and mid-career researchers. This fosters interdisciplinary collaboration and supports career development. These activities extend to practitioners and policymakers, ensuring ageing research informs practice and delivers real-world impact.
Research infrastructure
Centres of Research Excellence
Our Centres of Research Excellence advance our understanding of ageing and health:
- Centre for Ageing
- Centre for Cancer
- Centre for Human Nutrition and Exercise Research
- Centre for Rare Diseases
- Centre for Neuroscience
- Centre for Biomedical Engineering
Clinical Ageing Research Unit
Our Clinical Ageing Research Unit (CARU) is a £5.5m research facility funded by the Wellcome Trust and Wolfson Foundation. It develops early assessment and intervention strategies for age-associated degenerative conditions. CARU offers a patient-friendly setting for phase II-IV clinical studies in the older patient.
Fuse, the Centre for Translational Research in Public Health
Fuse is a major public health research collaboration led from Newcastle University. By translating research into policy and practice, Fuse plays a key role in strengthening public health systems.
National Innovation Centre for Ageing
The UK’s National Innovation Centre for Ageing co-develops and brings to market products and services that help people live better for longer.
NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre (BRC)
The Newcastle BRC brings together leading researchers and clinicians to turn early scientific breakthroughs into potential new treatments, diagnostics and technologies for patients.
NIHR Newcastle Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC)
The Newcastle Patient Safety Research Collaboration (PSRC) is a major partnership between Newcastle University and NHS organisations. Hosted by Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, it delivers innovative research to improve the safety and quality of health and care.
NIHR Policy Research Unit in Dementia and Neurodegeneration (DeNPRU)
DeNPRU produces high-quality evidence to inform health and social care policy on dementia and neurodegenerative conditions in England. Newcastle University is a key partner, bringing leading expertise in ageing and dementia research.
NIHR Policy Research Unit in Healthy Ageing (HAPRU)
HAPRU produces high-quality evidence to inform national policy on ageing and health in England. It is led by Newcastle University in collaboration with the University of Manchester and the London School of Economics.
NortHFutures Hub
The Northern Health Futures (NortHFutures) Hub is a collaborative digital health research and innovation hub. The Hub is led out of Open Lab in our School of Computing.
Meet some of our researchers and innovators
- Professor Quentin Anstee – Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Faculty of Medical Sciences
- Professor Dame Louise Robinson – Regius Professor of Ageing and Professor of Primary Care and Ageing
- Professor Avan Sayer - Director, NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre and Professor of Geriatric Medicine
- Professor Rachel Cooper - McArdle Chair in Ageing, Professor of Translational Epidemiology and Co-Director, Centre for Ageing
- Professor Matthew Prina – Professor in Ageing and Epidemiology and Co-Director, Centre for Ageing
- Dr Lynne Corner – Director of Engagement, Faculty of Medical Sciences and Director of VOICE® and COO, National Innovation Centre for Ageing
- Professor Nic Palmarini – Director, National Innovation Centre for Ageing
- Professor Clare Bambra - Professor of Public Health
- Professor Robert Taylor – Professor of Mitochondrial Pathology
- Professor Ashley Adamson – Professor of Public Health Nutrition and NIHR Research Professor
- Professor Laura Greaves – Professor of Molecular Pathology
- Professor Adam Todd – Professor of Pharmaceutical Public Health
- Professor Barbara Hanratty – Professor of Primary Care and Public Health
- Professor Lynn Rochester – Professor of Human Movement Science
- Professor Abi Durrant – Professor of Interaction Design and Co-Director of Open Lab and EPSRC Centre for Digital Citizens
- Professor Miles Witham – Professor of Trials for Older People
- Professor Steven Clifford – Chair of Molecular Paediatric Oncology and Director, Centre for Cancer
- Professor Vijay Kunadian - Professor of Interventional Cardiology
- Professor David Jones – Professor of Liver Immunology and Director, Centre for Rare Diseases
- Professor Emma Stevenson – Head of School, School of Biomedical, Nutritional and Sports Sciences
- Professor Rose Gilroy - Professor of Ageing, Policy and Planning
- Professor John Wildman - Peter and Norah Lomas Chair in Economics
- Professor Karen Ross - Professor of Gender and Media
- Professor Andrew Newman - Professor of Cultural Gerontology
- Professor David Lain - Professor of Work and Ageing
- Professor Kenny Dalgarno - Director, Centre for Biomedical Engineering
- Professor Bernard Corfe - Director, Centre for Human Nutrition and Exercise Research
- Professor Andrew Jackson – Professor of Neural Interfaces and Co-Director, Centre for Transformative Neuroscience
- Professor Fiona LeBeau – Reader in Neural Networks and Co-Director, Centre for Transformative Neuroscience
- Professor Andrew Blamire – Dean of Translational and Clinical Research Institute and Professor of Magnetic Resonance Physics
- Professor Katie Brittain, Professor of Applied Health Research and Ageing
- Dr Andrew Kingston – Senior Lecturer: Epidemiology of Ageing
- Dr Ana Ferreira-Duarte – Reader in Regenerative Engineering
- Professor Graham Smith – Professor of Oral History
Who we work with
We work with NHS partners, research infrastructures, industry, and international organisations, including:
- Newcastle Health Research Partnership:
- Newcastle upon Tyne Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
- Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust
- Newcastle City Council
- Health Innovation North East and Cumbria
- Department of Health and Social Care
- National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR):
- NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre
- Applied Research Collaboration (ARC) North East and Cumbria
- Healthy Ageing, Dementia and Neurodegeneration Policy Research Units
- The Patient Safety Research Collaboration
- World Health Organisation networks, including the Clinical Consortium on Healthy Ageing and the Life Course Network
- Fuse Centre for Translational Research in Public Health
- The Northern Health Futures (NortHFutures) Hub
- HelpAge International
- UK Ageing Research Network (UKAgeNet)
- Dementia UK
- Cochrane Global Ageing Thematic Group
- Academic Health Science Networks
- National Innovation Centre for Ageing and VOICE®
- International Longevity Centre UK
- International Alliance for Healthy Ageing (AHA).
- Brains for Dementia research partners: Manchester, London, Oxford, Bristol, and Cardiff
- Global Ageing Network
- Astex Pharmaceuticals
- Cancer Research UK
- Boehringer Ingelheim
- Roche Diagnostics
- Eurofins