We’re Helping People
Live Healthier, Happier,
Longer Lives
We are helping to create a world in which we all live better, for longer. From understanding rare diseases to multi-morbidity and ageing, we are helping to improve health and wellbeing for all.
Living better for longer
As people live longer and fertility rates decline, the proportion of older people in the population increases. This demographic shift has implications for healthcare, social care, the economy, and society as a whole.
We're also becoming more aware of the diseases that can affect our quality of life in later years. These diseases are avoidable if we take better care of ourselves.
Health inequalities in society persist as a result of various factors. These include socioeconomic status, race, and access to healthcare. Disparities lead to differential health outcomes, limited healthcare access, and unequal distribution of resources. This highlights the need for targeted interventions to address and reduce these inequalities.
We're helping to shape positive change in society across ageing and health, for the benefit of all.
Meet Alexander,
cancer survivor
Alexander was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the developing nervous system, at the age of four. Our researchers were able to apply their ground-breaking developments to assessing, diagnosing and treating the disease.
Alexander was able to receive an additional form of targeted treatment that wouldn't otherwise have been available to him. It was a positive result for him and his family. Watch his film and discover his story.
Latest on ageing and health
Collaboration for improved ageing
Improved ageing starts with collaboration. Our NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) is partnered with Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR).
We have a long history of excellence in translational research. We’re one of a small number of university and NHS partnerships to have been awarded NIHR BRC status in every funding round since 2007.
Though there are 20 BRCs across England, the Newcastle BRC is the only one that focuses on converting lab-based ageing research into practical and meaningful benefits for patients, the public and the health and care system.
Find out more about NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre
We are one of only eight Academic Health Science Centres in the UK. This means we bring the region's world-class research, NHS and city partners together. This centre is key to addressing health and social inequalities.
In 2016, we were the first University to become a partner of the International Longevity Centre, the UK’s specialist think tank on the impact of longevity on society.
Our Future Homes Alliance is developing new housing solutions for our ageing society. The development is an example of sustainable urban housing. Homes will feature innovative designs, creating flexible living space to suit residents’ changing needs. 66 homes are in development at our Newcastle Helix site.
National Innovation Centre for Ageing
We host the National Innovation Centre for Ageing. The team works with businesses to leverage the economic opportunities of demographic change.
The centre is also home to VOICE, a global community of patients, carers and other citizens.
They share their lived experience to focus research and development on needs and priorities.
Find out more about the National Innovation Centre for Ageing
Major achievements
There are many achievements in Ageing and Health that we’re particularly proud of. Some examples include:
- world-leading work developing a pioneering IVF (in vitro fertilisation) technique to protect future generations from the risk of mitochondrial disease
- refining recommendations for the clinical and pathological diagnosis of Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB)
- our cancer drug discovery and development work that has contributed to two therapeutics now in use:
- Rubraca™ - it is possible to trace the development of this ovarian cancer treatment through our University, from basic biology to its license for use
- Balversa™ - working with Astex Pharmaceuticals we identified a specific gene that this bladder cancer targets
- revolutionising treatment of type 2 diabetes by establishing that people can reverse the condition to the point where they no longer need medication
- transforming the definition and diagnosis of sarcopenia
Spin out companies
Our work in Ageing & 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:
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Changing Health – provides digital services for those suffering from, or at risk of, type 2 diabetes
- Alcyomics – a pre-clinical service provider of non-artificial human skin explants for safety and efficacy assessment of novel compounds and drugs
- AMLo Biosciences - dedicated to providing a prognostic test for early melanoma to better identify a patient’s true risk of disease progression
Our University’s Education for Life strategy is vital. It provides an engaging, challenging and supportive environment for our students so they can fulfil their potential.
Ageing is a topic in our Medical and Biomedical curricula. We also combine ageing research and teaching in our undergraduate module “Language and Ageing” from our School of English Literature, Language and Linguistics. The advanced module in sociolinguistics takes a multi-disciplinary approach and examines patterns of language variation and change in later life.
View our University’s collection of innovative teaching case studies
Our Clinical Ageing Research Unit (CARU) is a £5.5M research facility funded by the Wellcome Trust and Wolfson Foundation. Our primary aim is to develop early assessment and intervention strategies targeted at age-associated degenerative conditions. We provide a high quality, patient-friendly environment for phase II-IV clinical studies in older patients.
In 2019, we started a 10-year project to develop a 12-hectare site as our Health Innovation Neighbourhood. This ambitious £500m redevelopment of the former General Hospital in the West End of Newcastle will help people live longer and healthier lives through global leadership in ageing and research.
Several of our Centres of Research Excellence underpin our work in ageing and health including:
- Dr Lynne Corner provides expert advice to the UK Government Department of International Trade
- Professor Dame Louise Robinson is recognised for her services to Primary Care and for improving older people’s quality of life and the care they receive
- Professor Avan Sayer is Director of the NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre
- Professor Fiona Matthews is Professor of Epidemiology. She leads Ageing and Geroscience
- Professor Nic Palmarini is Director, National Innovation Centre for Ageing. Watch Professor Nic Palmarini's TEDx Talk
- Professor Rose Gilroy is Professor of Ageing, Policy and Planning. She is the Lead for Future Homes, an alliance looking to develop new homes in which people can live safely, independently for longer
We work with and partner with a range of Trusts, networks and centres, including:
- Newcastle upon Tyne Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Newcastle City Council, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) and the Academic Health Science Network
- National Innovation Centre for Ageing
- Voice - a community of patients, carers and members of the public. They contribute their experience to focus health research on real unmet needs and priorities
- International Longevity Centre
- Brains for Dementia research partners: Manchester, London, Oxford, Bristol and Cardiff
- Future Homes Alliance includes architects, housing associations, citizen groups
- the Global Ageing Network