Led collaboratively between CNWL and University College London, the new purpose-built research facility will aim to understand the diseases of ageing, and develop therapies against them.
Current projections suggest that along with an ageing population, the number of people living with conditions such as dementia and cancer will rise over the next two decades. The St Pancras Healthy Ageing Lab will help to improve the health outcomes for older people by conducting research into new therapies and treatments.
The project has been led by Simon Conroy, Professor of Geriatric Medicine at UCL, Daniel Davis, Professorial Research Fellow at the UCL MRC Unit for Lifelong Health & Ageing, and Dr Alex Tsui, Dementia Research Fellow and Consultant Geriatrician.
Dr Alex Tsui, said:
“If we can greater understand these conditions, we’re able to prevent and treat them. We’re not going to rely on the status quo in clinical care. We want to translate what we find ‘underneath the hood’ to our patients and take this into the next generation. We’ve got the people and the team to do it.
“We have something unique because we’re at the interface of academia and clinical care. We sit in between hospitals; the community and we see patients recovering. We’re seeing the full breadth of a patient’s trajectory so we know the questions we need to ask.”
Claire Murdoch, Chief Executive for CNWL, said:
“Healthy ageing is one of the biggest challenges of our time. We’re all living longer and what this poses society is enormous economic, health and humanitarian challenges.
“On top of this, many older people are living with several long-term conditions and many are living alone, lonely and isolated. More time in poor health impacts their quality of life, and places huge demands on health and social care.
“Providing services suitable for older adults is a priority for the NHS. The big piece is the weaving of research and innovation through our everyday practice. Not only is person-centred care vital, we have to lean into the research agenda.”
More information and pictures from the opening of the facility are available from CNWL: Keeping people healthier as they live longer: Healthy Ageing Lab opens at St Pancras Hospital
Image: CNWL