Our Research
Significant advances have been made in our understanding of the fundamental biology of ageing. The AGE Research Group’s vision is to translate this knowledge into advances in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of common age-related conditions including sarcopenia and multiple long-term conditions (MLTC) which are priority areas for the NHS - outlined by the Chief Medical Officer in his 2023 Annual Report and in the 10 Year Health Plan for England launched in 2025.
Building on our internationally-recognised expertise on ageing, sarcopenia and MLTC, we work across disciplinary boundaries and place patients and the public at the heart of our research to improve health and wellbeing across the life course including in old age.
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Deep-phenotyping for discovery
Our Muscle Ageing and Sarcopenia Lifecourse study is a unique population-based resource that draws on our expertise in academic geriatric medicine, life course epidemiology, biology, sport science and physiology. It combines clinical, sociodemographic and lifestyle data with biological samples, including muscle biopsies, providing novel insights on mechanisms and risk factors underpinning sarcopenia and MLTC.
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Experimental medicine ageing studies
Our innovative MLTC registry (MULTIPLE) and experimental medicine sarcopenia platform trial (REVITALiSE) recruit older people to enable experimental medicine testing of multiple candidate interventions, giving mechanistic insights and robust evidence for future large-scale clinical trials.
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Translation into practice
We inform changes to regional, national and international clinical practice through our research. Examples of this include our major research programme to transform care for people living with MLTC admitted to hospital (ADMISSION), and our UK-wide Benchmarking Exercise Programme for Older People (BEPOP) to improve exercise training for sarcopenia.
Studies and other contributions
Studies and research programmes
Our work is supported by a range of funders including the National Institute for Health and Care Research, UK Research and Innovation, the British Geriatrics Society and the Vivensa Foundation.
Our funders
Ensuring our research is inclusive
Research inclusion is central to our work; older people are too often excluded from taking part in research, which leaves research findings unfit for use by patients, clinicians, policymakers and the public. We actively address this through our innovative design and delivery of studies, and by sharing our methods widely. We played a central role in generating the NIHR INCLUDE guidance, developed specific best practice guidance for including older people in research, and contributed to the recent UK joint funders statement committing to include older people in research.
As inclusion goes beyond age, we work to ensure that people from other under-served groups, including those from minoritised ethnic groups, socioeconomically deprived neighbourhoods and rural and coastal communities are provided with opportunities to take part in our research.