Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research

Lead Research Organisation: University of Birmingham
Department Name: Institute of Inflammation and Ageing

Abstract

Research context: We are living longer but not healthier, with adults in the UK on average now spending the last decade of life in poor health. Decline in our musculoskeletal system (muscle, bone, cartilage and tendon), and diseases of the joints such as Osteoarthritis (OA) and Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), are major contributors to ill health in old age. The annual cost to the NHS of musculoskeletal decline is over £5 billion. Doing nothing about the current situation is an expensive and untenable option.
The Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research aims to understand the age-related loss of musculoskeletal function and the role played by lifestyle (physical inactivity and obesity) in influencing this process. Physical activity and diet-based interventions are tested by the Centre to ensure these are effective in older adults. The Centre also includes motivational psychology research to develop approaches that encourage people to adopt healthy lifestyles.

Aims and objectives:
In the second 5 years of the Centre the research will expand to investigate the processes that cause a person to progress from healthy old age to developing arthritis. This will open up new ways to prevent and treat arthritis.
The objectives of the Centre are:
1. To increase understanding of the processes influencing the rate of ageing of the musculoskeletal system and how these increase susceptibility to frailty and disease;
2. To develop and test interventions to improve musculoskeletal health;
3. To develop strong national and international networking to create a significant Healthy Musculoskeletal Ageing research, training and dissemination facility;
4. To increase use of existing patient cohorts and data to support our aims;
5. To work with key policy and health practice influencers, industry and PPI groups to find routes to translation of our research in to health benefits.

Potential applications and benefits:
The potential benefits of the research carried out by the Centre are significant as age-related loss of musculoskeletal function has major health consequences and reduced ability to stay in employment and maintain independence. Applying the knowledge we acquire to understanding the link between ageing and the development of arthritis will increase the impact of our work further, potentially revealing novel routes to the prevention or treatment of arthritis. Applying our exercise interventions to those with established disease can help reduce pain and fatigue and improve quality of life.

Contribution to the Arthritis Research UK strategic focus (2015-2020).
The research in CMAR will contribute to the strategic focus of Arthritis Research UK, helping to understand the link between ageing and arthritis and how lifestyle and pharmacological approaches can delay the former to prevent the latter. For example, if Centre research reveals that the processes that drive normal ageing also contribute to the development of arthritis, then some of the new drugs being tested to slow the ageing process may also help prevent development of arthritis, bringing us closer to a Cure. Work on the benefits of exercise for reducing pain and fatigue in adults with OA or RA will transform patient quality of Life. Together the Centre's research programme will thus help meet ARUK's "Prevent, Transform, Cure" strategy.
This summary was drafted with patients in our arthritis PPI group R2P2. They were supportive of research that could give advice on how to exercise safely, fear of making their pain or disease worse with exercise was common. They were supportive of any treatments that could delay or prevent disease, especially drug repurposing. Overall they were supportive and thought it made sense to expand our programme toward disease pathogenesis and to work with other centres to share knowledge. On the subject of PPI group involvement, they suggested that the group supporting the Centre should include healthy elders too, so we will do this

Technical Summary

Poor musculoskeletal health has a significant impact upon the economy, society and the individual. The Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research (CMAR) integrates the work of world class researchers, clinicians and health professionals at the Universities of Birmingham, Nottingham and Oxford to focus on understanding:
1. The age-related loss of musculoskeletal mass and function, including the role played by lifestyle (diet, physical inactivity) in influencing the trajectory of this process. Mechanisms such as anabolic resistance, autophagy, neuromuscular decline and cell senescence are key mechanisms being investigated;
2. How ageing influences musculoskeletal disease pathogenesis and frailty. This will include determining: whether ageing is accelerated in Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other chronic inflammatory conditions using epigenetic marks indicative of biological ageing, the role of the gut microbiome in musculoskeletal health and disease, the role of anti-inflammatory pathways and their dysregulation in ageing and RA, the factors driving the sarcopaenia secondary to common chronic inflammatory diseases (COPD, IBD) and physical trauma.
3. Physical activity and diet-based interventions will continue to be assessed and validated in healthy elders and patients, ensuring protocols are tailored to adults of differing ability. Metabolomics will be used to help RA patient stratification for therapy and biomedical engineers and neuroscience researchers will test novel methods to improve tissue regeneration and motor control respectively. CMAR will continue to apply its internationally recognised expertise in motivational psychology to develop programmes achieving good adherence in adults, including patients with arthritis and chronic inflammatory conditions.
CMAR will also place emphasis on collaborative working, supporting students and early career researchers to make collaborative visits of up to 1 year to other centres of excellence in the UK or overseas.

Planned Impact

Life expectancy in the UK is increasing at a rate of approximately two years per decade; with 1 in 3 children born now expected to reach 100 years. This would be a cause for celebration if it were not for the fact that increases in health span, the years spent in good health, are not keeping pace with lifespan changes. Estimates from the WHO show a 10 year difference between health span and lifespan in the UK. Supporting the continued need for a Centre of Excellence focused on research into musculoskeletal ageing are the dramatic statistics concerning age-related compromise to the musculoskeletal system: 740,000 adults are admitted to A&E each year after a fall, which resulted in 89,000 hip fractures in 2015; 20% of the population consults their GP about a musculoskeletal problem each year and the NHS spends >£5 billion on MSK health; low muscle mass predicts all-cause mortality in older people; arthritis affects over 10 million people in the UK and there are >175,000 joint replacements annually as a result; the indirect cost to the economy of arthritis, in terms of working time lost, is estimated at £14 billion. These figures make it clear that the opportunity to improve the musculoskeletal health of our ageing population is a critical need for a range of key stakeholders.

Academic researchers across a wide variety of disciplines have the opportunity to benefit not only from the new multidisciplinary knowledge produced across our themes of "Mechanisms of musculoskeletal ageing"; "Ageing and the progression to disease and frailty" and "Interventions to improve musculoskeletal health and function", but to access the technical facilities, well-defined patient cohorts and training courses that the Centre will offer.

There will be significant patient benefit from these themes in terms of tackling the conditions outlined above, which do not only affect the elderly but also a significant proportion of younger people, particularly those who have suffered traumatic injury. The approach of the Centre offers not only the potential to develop new approaches to diet and exercise and measure their efficacy in specific populations, where possible directly consulting with patients and using their input to inform developments, but also to develop new pharmaceutical therapies where needed and to work with charities and policymakers to provide the critical evidence and expertise to inform future policy and patient care, as well as to ensure that consistent and well-informed messages are delivered through mainstream media where possible.

Opportunities for economic outputs will arise from the Centre's innovative research programmes, which already benefit from significant industry engagement. New ideas around potential pharmaceutical or dietary approaches can be protected and discussed with industry partners, who can then resource them to reach wider consumers and patients, while smaller firms may wish to partner around the dissemination of new exercise programmes targeted to organisations such as care homes and health services as well as directly to individuals.

Publications

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Arends J (2017) ESPEN expert group recommendations for action against cancer-related malnutrition. in Clinical nutrition (Edinburgh, Scotland)

 
Title You tube video on exercises to stay healthy in lockdown 
Description The video has been viewed over 100,000 times on Facebook and other media. I received many requests form around the world for interviews and also many emails from older adults thanking me for making the video. 
Type Of Art Film/Video/Animation 
Year Produced 2020 
Impact As a result I also made a video for a company that delivers exercise classes to older adults , Move it or Lose It, and this was used on their online platform. 
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6_zJtbzMho
 
Description Care Home staff training workshops
Geographic Reach Local/Municipal/Regional 
Policy Influence Type Influenced training of practitioners or researchers
 
Description Contribution to CMO's 2023 annual report
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health
URL https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65562ff2d03a8d000d07faa6/chief-medical-officers-annua...
 
Description G7 Academies statement on ageing
Geographic Reach Multiple continents/international 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
URL https://royalsociety.org/-/media/about-us/international/g-science-statements/delivering-better-healt...
 
Description Growing Older Better
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
URL https://static.physoc.org/app/uploads/2019/10/11135853/Growing-old-better-Full-report-and-summary-do...
 
Description House of Lords Inquiry
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
 
Description Nuffield Council on Bioethics inquiry in to the future of ageing
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
 
Description Part of a policy roundtable organised by the Physiological Society and chaired by Lord James Bethell. Subject "Economic inactivity, health and older workers".
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description Participation in a strategy setting workshop on age-related physical decline by the Physiology Society
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Contribution to a national consultation/review
 
Description Policy brief
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Implementation circular/rapid advice/letter to e.g. Ministry of Health
URL https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/477114/
 
Description A novel diagnostic for vestibular dysfunction
Amount £920,000 (GBP)
Funding ID MR/X013944/1 
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 06/2023 
End 06/2027
 
Description An uncontrolled open label trial of Alphaville Essentials to reduce biological ageing in healthy older people
Amount £482,213 (GBP)
Organisation Bayer 
Sector Private
Country Germany
Start 06/2022 
End 01/2024
 
Description Birmingham Women's and Children's Hospital Charity
Amount £15,000 (GBP)
Organisation Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2022 
End 12/2024
 
Description Clinical Training Fellowship
Amount £120,498 (GBP)
Funding ID 21386 
Organisation Versus Arthritis 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2017 
End 03/2019
 
Description Comparing the Phenotypes and Trajectories of Human Ageing Associated with Exercise or Inactivity: with a particular focus on the biology of skeletal muscle and the immune system
Amount £1,055,698 (GBP)
Organisation JetBrains 
Sector Private
Country Czech Republic
Start 02/2021 
End 05/2024
 
Description DIF/Evotec
Amount £60,000 (GBP)
Organisation University of Birmingham 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2021 
End 08/2021
 
Description Daphne Jackson Trust Fellowship
Amount £150,000 (GBP)
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 04/2023 
End 05/2026
 
Description Daphne Jackson Trust fellowship
Amount £150,000 (GBP)
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 04/2023 
End 05/2026
 
Description Daphne Jackson Trust/ Kidney Research UK Fellowship award to Dr Winnie Chan; project lead Prof Carolyn Greig
Amount £86,671 (GBP)
Organisation Kidney Research UK 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 06/2021 
End 06/2023
 
Description Does major trauma accelerate the ageing process and can it be alleviated by physical activity?
Amount £120,000 (GBP)
Organisation Scar Free Foundation 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 04/2021 
End 04/2022
 
Description Establishing a network to catalyse collaboration for reducing immune ageing (CARINA: CAtalyst Reducing ImmuNe Ageing)
Amount £201,993 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/W018225/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2022 
End 02/2024
 
Description FOREUM
Amount € 599,881 (EUR)
Organisation Foreum 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country Switzerland
Start 03/2018 
End 03/2021
 
Description FRAME bursary
Amount £150 (GBP)
Organisation University of Birmingham 
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2022 
End 04/2022
 
Description GEroscience and Multi-Morbidity: identifying targets for intervention (GEMM)
Amount £100,794 (GBP)
Funding ID MR/V005030/1 
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2020 
End 02/2021
 
Description H2020_IF_LAC-TB
Amount £175,730 (GBP)
Funding ID H2020 GA 841729 
Organisation European Commission H2020 
Sector Public
Country Belgium
Start 01/2020 
End 12/2021
 
Description HEFCE CCF SPINE Network
Amount £4,900,000 (GBP)
Organisation NIHR/HEFCE Higher Education Fund for England 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2018 
End 10/2020
 
Description IIA travel award for oral presentation at the BRS-ECTS joint conference in Liverpool
Amount £470 (GBP)
Organisation University of Birmingham 
Department Institute of Inflammation and Ageing
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2023 
End 04/2023
 
Description In vitro modelling of bone infection for osteomyelitis and osteoradionecrosis
Amount £134,094 (GBP)
Organisation National Centre for the Replacement, Refinement and Reduction of Animals in Research (NC3Rs) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 06/2024 
End 06/2028
 
Description Investigating lactate as an inflammatory early signal in ectopic lymphoid neogenesis and its translational impact in patients with autoimmune diseases
Amount £591,000 (GBP)
Funding ID MR/T016736/1 
Organisation Research Councils UK (RCUK) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2020 
End 02/2023
 
Description Investigating muscle weakness in older age
Amount £191,398 (GBP)
Funding ID PDM2202\5 
Organisation The Dunhill Medical Trust 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2023 
End 12/2026
 
Description Kennedy Network travel and skills enhancement grant
Amount £5,000 (GBP)
Organisation The Kennedy Trust 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2023 
End 03/2024
 
Description Lifelong Physical AcTivity TArgeting INequalities (ATTAIN): A Transformative Network for Healthy Ageing
Amount £171,985 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/W018330/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2022 
End 02/2024
 
Description Longitudinal analysis of the effects of lifelong physical activity on muscle and immune ageing.
Amount £90,000 (GBP)
Organisation Versus Arthritis 
Department Arthritis Research UK Centre for Musculoskeletal Ageing Research
Sector Academic/University
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2019 
End 03/2023
 
Description MICA: Synovial fibroblast pain pathotypes: A roadmap to understanding and targeting the complexity of patient-reported joint pain in osteoarthritis
Amount £1,322,218 (GBP)
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 04/2022 
End 05/2025
 
Description MNTRF
Amount £10,000 (GBP)
Organisation Midland Neuroscience Teaching and Research Fund 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2017 
End 01/2018
 
Description Multi-PhD Studentship Programme
Amount £389,000 (GBP)
Funding ID PDM2310\13 
Organisation The Dunhill Medical Trust 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 09/2024 
End 09/2027
 
Description Muscle resilience across the life course: from cells to society
Amount £184,485 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/W018284/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2022 
End 01/2024
 
Description NIHR BRC in Inflammation
Amount £12,800,000 (GBP)
Organisation National Institute for Health Research 
Department NIHR Biomedical Research Centre
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2017 
End 03/2022
 
Description OPTIMising therapies, disease trajectories, and AI assisted clinical management for patients Living with complex multimorbidity (OPTIMAL study)
Amount £2,495,158 (GBP)
Funding ID NIHR202632 
Organisation National Institute for Health Research 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 07/2021 
End 04/2025
 
Description Responsive mode
Amount £1,100,000 (GBP)
Funding ID BB/R003971/1 
Organisation Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2018 
End 12/2020
 
Description Royal Society Leverhulme Senior Research Fellowship
Amount £54,000 (GBP)
Organisation The Royal Society 
Sector Charity/Non Profit
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2017 
End 09/2019
 
Description The impact of trauma and related inflammation on skeletal muscle fuel and protein metabolism.
Amount £275,685 (GBP)
Organisation Defence Science & Technology Laboratory (DSTL) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 02/2017 
End 07/2018
 
Description Therapies For Long COVID In Non-hospitalised Individuals: From Symptoms, Patient-reported Outcomes And Immunology To Targeted Therapies (The TLC Study)
Amount £2,546,586 (GBP)
Organisation National Institute for Health Research 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 11/2021 
End 11/2023
 
Description Tissue research in childhood inflammatory arthritis
Amount £1,300,000 (GBP)
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 12/2022 
End 12/2026
 
Description Tissue-resident CD8+ memory T cell and fibroblast cross-talk in juvenile idiopathic arthritis
Amount £250,000 (GBP)
Organisation Medical Research Council (MRC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 08/2022 
End 09/2025
 
Description Travel and attendence award: JRC summer school on non-animal approaches in science - towards sustainable innovation
Amount £500 (GBP)
Organisation European Union Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EURL ECVAM) 
Sector Public
Country Italy
Start 04/2023 
End 05/2023
 
Title The challenges of muscle biopsy in a community based geriatric population 
Description Abstract Objectives To describe the difficulties of obtaining muscle samples using a Bergstrom needle technique in a frail older adult population. The data were obtained from a study primarily investigating immunosenescence in frailty. An intended research technique was skeletal muscle biopsy in a small subset of participants to investigate muscle morphology and local inflammatory factors. Results Forty healthy older adults and 37 frail older adults were considered for a Bergstrom needle muscle biopsy. Of these, 17.5% of healthy older adults and 94.6% of the frail older adults had single or multiple participant factors resulting in a contra-indication to muscle biopsy. 40.7% of healthy older female participants were at risk of a failed muscle biopsy due to low muscle mass. Considering only muscle mass muscle biopsy would have been successful in 18.7% of the frail older women and 21.4% of the frail older men. In this population, muscle biopsy was not feasible because of contra-indications in the majority of participants. This questions whether a biopsy sample obtained from frail older individuals, is actually representative of this population and supports the need to disclose biopsy failure rate in this population. 
Type Of Material Database/Collection of data 
Year Produced 2018 
Provided To Others? Yes  
Impact This dataset has helped other muscle researchers trying to take muscle biopsies from frail older adults and has informed our work on sarcopenia in patients with Long Covid. 
URL https://figshare.com/collections/The_challenges_of_muscle_biopsy_in_a_community_based_geriatric_popu...
 
Description 'Put Pep in Your Step' DVD 
Organisation Move it or Lose It
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution We produced and released our own DVD, launched on October 1st 2013 on World Older Adults Day, comprising a staged exercise programme based on the PEPPI programme validated by Prof Bill Evans but also employing factors revealed by our motivational psychology team to enhance self determination to lifestyle change. These include the use of music and using demonstrators of the appropriate age group, we thus used members of the Birmingham 1000 Elders as the actors on the DVD
Collaborator Contribution Industrial Partner
Impact The DVD is available to buy. Importantly local Age Concern groups and the Birmingham Later Life forum have both bought the DVD to use in their befriending schemes to reduce isolation and improve health in older adults. We have also developed a training course for physical activity trainers in the use of our DVD and exercise programme and we deliver this as a 2-day VTCT accredited course 3 times a year beginning in March 2014. We have also run 2 full day workshops for older adults on healthy ageing with 200 attendees in total.
Start Year 2013
 
Description Bayer Alphaville project 
Organisation Bayer
Department Bayer HealthCare
Country Germany 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution I have acted as a consultant to Bayer on their development of a lifestyle programme to improve health in middle-aged to older adults.
Collaborator Contribution As a result of my consultancy activity Bayer then asked me to run a clinical trial of one of a nutraceutical mix developed as part of their lifestyle programme. The trial completed in 2023 and the manuscript is under review at gerosicence.
Impact Manuscript under review and a Youtube seminar also being planned.
Start Year 2021
 
Description Bi-lateral collaboration with the Maffia's group at University of Glasgow (2019 - Still Active) 
Organisation University of Glasgow
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We have shared with them some of our Slc5a12KO mice to perform a PCSK9-induced athero model
Collaborator Contribution They have performed an athero model for us
Impact None
Start Year 2019
 
Description Bi-lateral collaboration with the Mauri's group at University College London (2021 - Still Active) 
Organisation University College London
Department Centre for Rheumatology and Bloomsbury Rheumatology Unit
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Providing expertise on metabolism to the study of B regulatory cells
Collaborator Contribution Expert of B regulatory cells and their impact in rheumatological diseases
Impact Not yet - a high impact manuscript is in preparation
Start Year 2021
 
Description CARINA network 
Organisation University College London
Department Centre for Inflammation and Tissue Repair
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I am a member of the management board of CARINA
Collaborator Contribution CARINA aims to build a UK wide network of researchers to research the basis of immune frailty, which is directly relevant to the research of the MRC-VA centre. They have organised workshops and are supporting ECRs to write grant applications.
Impact 3 workshops, >5 grant applications to the BBSRC Ageing Research Discovery Awards.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Can FcRL4+ B cells capture bacterial extracellular vesicles? 
Organisation Quadram Institute Bioscience
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution In our collaboration with Berlin and Stockholm we have demonstrated a strong B cell response to gramnegative bacteria in the joints of patients with rheumatoid arthritis. There are no intact bacterial traveling in the blood of our patients, but we plan top assess whether BEV can be detected in blood or synovial fluid of RA patients. As our work on FcRL4+ B cells has shown that they capture IgA aggregates, and circulating BEV are likely to be covered in IgA, we plan to assess whether FcRL4 + B cells capture IgA coated BEV in RA joints. We will send samples of sorted cells and synovial fluid to the Quadram Institute.
Collaborator Contribution Professor Carding is an expert in the research of bacterial extracellular vesicles (BEV), small vesicles shed by gramnegative bacteria. As our work on FcRL4+ B cells has shown that they capture IgA aggregates, and circulating BEV are likely to be covered in IgA, we plan to assess whether FcRL4 + B cells capture IgA coated BEV in RA joints. Prof Carling will determine BEV content in our samples of FcRL4+ B cells, synovial fluid and pserum of controls and RA patients
Impact We have received a small grant from the MRC VA Centre of Musculoskeletal Ageing
Start Year 2022
 
Description Centre for Healthy Ageing, Copenhagen 
Organisation University of Copenhagen
Department Center for Healthy Aging
Country Denmark 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution This partnership is to carry out PhD student training and research in the area of musculoskeletal ageing. Our role is to co-organise and part fund the first training workshop and conference in May 2020. This is planned to be a regular event going forward.
Collaborator Contribution Our partners are hosting the first meeting, they co-organised the speakers and programme and they are part funding the event.
Impact None as yet.
Start Year 2019
 
Description Collaboration Agreement with Lmito Thereapeutics Korea (2020 - Still Active 
Organisation Lmito Therapeutics Inc
Country Korea, Republic of 
Sector Private 
PI Contribution We will use their small molecules acting on lactate production pathway in the cell to investigate immune functions and ageing responses
Collaborator Contribution They provide the small molecules
Impact None
Start Year 2020
 
Description Collaboration on the effects of cellular senescence on protein metabolism 
Organisation King's College London
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Application of stable isotope tracer techniques to investigate muscle protein metabolism in vitro.
Collaborator Contribution Cell culture of human primary muscle-derived cells and induction of senescence.
Impact NA
Start Year 2023
 
Description Collaboration with German Rheumatism Research Centre 
Organisation Charité - University of Medicine Berlin
Country Germany 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We have started to collaborate with colleagues at the German Rheumatism Research Centre to investigate whether FcRL4+ B cells are specifically recognising gut bacteria. A PhD student working with me has travelled to Berlin to modify the technique used at the (DRFZ) and to run his experiments. He has now moved to Berlin and is working as a postdoctoral researcher at the DRFZ. We are continuing with our collaborative project and are hoping to publish our first shared manuscript in the near future.
Collaborator Contribution They have hosted the student in their lab and are sequencing and are analysing the sorted bacteria. They are now employing the researcher who developed this project during his PhD project with me as a post doc to allow continuation of this work in Berlin.
Impact We are planning to jointly publish the data once the work is completed
Start Year 2018
 
Description Collaboration with KCL on cyclists cohort 
Organisation King's College London
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution This collaboration is with Prof Stephen Harridge who has a cohort of master cyclists aged over 55 years. Our contribution is to work with him to determine the impact of lifelong physical activity on body systems, with our team looking at immune function. We also provided data from an age matched inactive control cohort.
Collaborator Contribution The KCL team did the analysis of major body systems including muscle and bone and also managed the cohort.
Impact We have so far published 4 papers from this collaboration. It is multidisciplinary involving metabolic physiologists and immunologists.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Hertfordshire Ageing Cohort 
Organisation University of Cambridge
Department MRC Epidemiology Unit
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution We have worked with the Hertfordshire Ageing Cohort to analyse stored serum samples to determine the impact of systemic inflammation and HPA axis changes with age on muscle and bone mass and function and physical frailty
Collaborator Contribution HAS supplied the samples and associated clinical and physiological data and helped with statistical analysis of the data.
Impact The collaboration has produced 4 papers to date with more in the pipeline.
Start Year 2012
 
Description House of Lords Inquiry in to Ageing: Science, Technology and Healthy Living 
Organisation House of Lords
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Public 
PI Contribution I have been appointed as the Specialist Adviser to the S7T committee inquiry in to Ageing: Science, Technology and Healthy Living. I work with the panel to hear oral evidence for witnesses, read written evidence and will help to draft the report from the inquiry that will be presented to the Minister for Health and debated in the House of Lords.
Collaborator Contribution The House of Lords set up, funds and administers the inquiry.
Impact The inquiry led to a report published in January 2021.
Start Year 2019
 
Description Kennedy Institute for Rheumatology 
Organisation University of Oxford
Department Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Professor Chris Buckley, a theme lead in this award, has set up a collaboration with the KIR to accelearte the development of new drugs for Rheumatoid Arthritis. As a result he will now be funded 0.5FTE by the Kenendy Foundation and has received £7m in funding from them for this collaboration, £3.7m of which will come to Birmingham.
Collaborator Contribution The Kennedy Foundation have supported this link and the researchers at the KIR will work with Prof Buckley to develop the new research programme across both sites.
Impact £7m funding from the Kennedy Foundation
Start Year 2017
 
Description MyAge network 
Organisation University of Southampton
Department Faculty of Medicine
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution I am a member of the strategic advisory board on this Uk Ageing network.
Collaborator Contribution This network has organised workshops and training and offered small pilot grant funding for ECRs which has been very beneficial to memebrs of the MRC-VA centre.
Impact This si multidisciplinary including clinicians, biomedical scientists, data scientists. Outputs are 3 workshops and a pilot project funding round.
Start Year 2022
 
Description MyAge network 
Organisation University of Southampton
Department Institute for Life Sciences
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Network Co-Director and Management Group Member 2022-2024
Collaborator Contribution Directing the network, organising network activities and contributing to outputs
Impact 1. Greig CA, Alavian, KN, Godfrey K, Gray J, Lillycrop KA, Mant A, Piasecki M, Smith PJS (2023). Muscle resilience across the life course: from cells to society. A Roadmap for transformative research in healthy ageing. Report, University of Southampton. DOI: 10.5258/SOTON/P1128 2. Alavian KN, Godfrey K, Gray J, Greig CA, Lillycrop KA, Mant A, Piasecki M, Smith PJS (2023). Muscle resilience across the life course: from cells to society. Value proposition. University of Southampton. Report. DOI: 10.5258/SOTON/P1130 3. Piasecki M, Alavian KN, Godfrey K, Gray J, Lillycrop KA, Mant A, Smith PJS, Greig CA (2023). A lifelong approach to muscle resilience: implications for policy and practice. Policy Brief, University of Southampton, DOI: 10.5258/SOTON/PP0035
Start Year 2022
 
Description National Musculoskeletal Ageing Network 
Organisation University of Southampton
Department MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution This collaboration is to set up a national network of researchers to tackle the issue of frailty. The MRC made an award to Southampton which covers the networks activity for 2 years, My team is part of this network, contributing ideas and seminars.
Collaborator Contribution Southampton is the lead but the network includes 10 universities overall. Southampton organise the workshops and seminar programme.
Impact This activity is multidisciplinary including clinicians, biomedical scientists, geneticists, epidemiologists, data modellers. One opinion piece published, 2 face to face workshops and a bimonthly seminar series. Harvey NC, Clegg PD, Dennison EM, Greenhaff P, Griffin SJ, Gregson CL, Jackson MJ, Lord JM, McCloskey EV, Stevenson E, Tobias JH, Ward KA, Cooper C and the UK MRC National Musculoskeletal Ageing Network Study Group. (2022) UKRI MRC National Musculoskeletal Ageing Network: Strategic prioritisation to increase healthy lifespan and minimise physical frailty. Osteoporosis Arch.
Start Year 2022
 
Description Nuffield Council on Bioethics - Ageing Research 
Organisation Nuffield Council on Bioethics
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution I am a member of the Council's working group looking at some of the ethical issues arising from agenij research. I contributed my expertise in biogerontology for the report they produced in 2023.
Collaborator Contribution The council have funded the various evidence gathering activities, including in person fora with older adults and the working party meetings themselves.
Impact The report was published in April 2023 with a public launch at the Councils HQ. The report is here: https://www.nuffieldbioethics.org/publications/future-of-ageing
Start Year 2021
 
Description PHOSP COVID Sarcopenia working group 
Organisation University of Leicester
Department Respiratory Medicine
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution My team worked with the PHOSP COVID platform to understand the factors driving frailty in Long COVID patients.
Collaborator Contribution The partners provided samples (blood, muscle) and clinical data to allow the analysis by my team.
Impact The collaboration is multidisciplinary, involving immunologists, muscle physiologists, clinicians, physicists (for MRI and MRS). Outputs so far are 2 papers: Evans RA et al; PHOSP-COVID collaborative group (2021). Physical, cognitive and mental health impacts of COVID-19 following hospitalisation - a multi-centre prospective cohort study. Lancet Resp Med 9:1275-1287. PHOSP-COVID collaborative group (2022). Clinical characteristics with inflammation profiling of Long-COVID and association with one-year recovery following hospitalisation in the UK: a prospective observational study. Lancet Resp Med doi.org/10.1016/ S2213-2600(22)00127-8.
Start Year 2020
 
Description Physiological Society strategy working group on healthy ageing 
Organisation Physiological Society
Country Global 
Sector Charity/Non Profit 
PI Contribution The Physiological Society of Great Britain held a series of workshops in 2018 with researchers and stakeholders such as UKRI to discuss research gaps in the area of achieving health in old age. The workshop series is chaired by Prof Paul Greenhaff, now the director of CMAR and Prof Janet Lord attended one of the workshops and is also on the leadership team for this activity.
Collaborator Contribution The Physiological Society co-ordinated the meetings, funded the 3 workshops and are developing the policy document that will be the key output.
Impact A report called Growing Older Better was published. The link is: https://www.physoc.org/policy/public-health-and-ageing/healthyageing/
Start Year 2018
 
Description The role of PRG4 in joint disease 
Organisation Birmingham Children's Hospital
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Hospitals 
PI Contribution Clinical samples of synovial tissue taken from individuals with arthopathy. Single cell analysis and advanced tissue analytics of the above samples
Collaborator Contribution Glasgow - Provision of genetically altered fibroblasts for comparison Oxford - reagents and imaging BWCH - patient samples
Impact Abstract submissions generation of datasets
Start Year 2023
 
Description The role of PRG4 in joint disease 
Organisation University of Glasgow
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Clinical samples of synovial tissue taken from individuals with arthopathy. Single cell analysis and advanced tissue analytics of the above samples
Collaborator Contribution Glasgow - Provision of genetically altered fibroblasts for comparison Oxford - reagents and imaging BWCH - patient samples
Impact Abstract submissions generation of datasets
Start Year 2023
 
Description The role of PRG4 in joint disease 
Organisation University of Oxford
Department Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Clinical samples of synovial tissue taken from individuals with arthopathy. Single cell analysis and advanced tissue analytics of the above samples
Collaborator Contribution Glasgow - Provision of genetically altered fibroblasts for comparison Oxford - reagents and imaging BWCH - patient samples
Impact Abstract submissions generation of datasets
Start Year 2023
 
Description Tissue research in Childhood Arthritis 
Organisation University College London
Department Institute of Child Health
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Expertise in synovial tissue biopsies Single cell transcriptomics and advanced tissue analytics Immunology and tissue expertise Functional assays Patient recruitment
Collaborator Contribution The aim of the collaboration is to share expertise and University of Manchester - Long term data collection and disease trajectory analysis University of Oxford - data management and multiomics analysis University College London - synovial tissue analysis, patient recruitment, immunology expertise and pathophysiology (functional assays) and
Impact Abstracts presented at British Society of Rheumatology annual meeting and Paediatric Rheumatology European Association Supported successful fellowship funding applications for Dr Lizzy Rosser (Kennedy Trust Senior Fellowship), Dr Christine Bolton (Clinical Research Training Fellowship) and Dr Beth Clay (Daphne Jackson Trust fellowship - Medical Research Council, Kennedy Trust).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Tissue research in Childhood Arthritis 
Organisation University of Birmingham
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Expertise in synovial tissue biopsies Single cell transcriptomics and advanced tissue analytics Immunology and tissue expertise Functional assays Patient recruitment
Collaborator Contribution The aim of the collaboration is to share expertise and University of Manchester - Long term data collection and disease trajectory analysis University of Oxford - data management and multiomics analysis University College London - synovial tissue analysis, patient recruitment, immunology expertise and pathophysiology (functional assays) and
Impact Abstracts presented at British Society of Rheumatology annual meeting and Paediatric Rheumatology European Association Supported successful fellowship funding applications for Dr Lizzy Rosser (Kennedy Trust Senior Fellowship), Dr Christine Bolton (Clinical Research Training Fellowship) and Dr Beth Clay (Daphne Jackson Trust fellowship - Medical Research Council, Kennedy Trust).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Tissue research in Childhood Arthritis 
Organisation University of Manchester
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Expertise in synovial tissue biopsies Single cell transcriptomics and advanced tissue analytics Immunology and tissue expertise Functional assays Patient recruitment
Collaborator Contribution The aim of the collaboration is to share expertise and University of Manchester - Long term data collection and disease trajectory analysis University of Oxford - data management and multiomics analysis University College London - synovial tissue analysis, patient recruitment, immunology expertise and pathophysiology (functional assays) and
Impact Abstracts presented at British Society of Rheumatology annual meeting and Paediatric Rheumatology European Association Supported successful fellowship funding applications for Dr Lizzy Rosser (Kennedy Trust Senior Fellowship), Dr Christine Bolton (Clinical Research Training Fellowship) and Dr Beth Clay (Daphne Jackson Trust fellowship - Medical Research Council, Kennedy Trust).
Start Year 2022
 
Description Tissue research in Childhood Arthritis 
Organisation University of Oxford
Department Kennedy Institute of Rheumatology
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution Expertise in synovial tissue biopsies Single cell transcriptomics and advanced tissue analytics Immunology and tissue expertise Functional assays Patient recruitment
Collaborator Contribution The aim of the collaboration is to share expertise and University of Manchester - Long term data collection and disease trajectory analysis University of Oxford - data management and multiomics analysis University College London - synovial tissue analysis, patient recruitment, immunology expertise and pathophysiology (functional assays) and
Impact Abstracts presented at British Society of Rheumatology annual meeting and Paediatric Rheumatology European Association Supported successful fellowship funding applications for Dr Lizzy Rosser (Kennedy Trust Senior Fellowship), Dr Christine Bolton (Clinical Research Training Fellowship) and Dr Beth Clay (Daphne Jackson Trust fellowship - Medical Research Council, Kennedy Trust).
Start Year 2022
 
Title INHIBITORS OF LACTATE TRANSPORTERS FOR USE IN THE TREATMENT OF INFLAMMATORY DISEASES 
Description We are forming a start-up, Solute Guard Therapeutics (SGTx) on the back of the research funded in part by this MRC Project Grant. This is funded through NGBio VC. It is now starting the pre-seed round of fund raising and should officially launch later in 2024 between June-July. The start-up aim is to develop anti-Slc5a12 monoclonal antibodies for treatment of inflammatory arthrites. 
IP Reference EP3209328 
Protection Patent / Patent application
Year Protection Granted 2017
Licensed No
Impact None yet.
 
Title TREATMENT OF OBESITY-ASSOCIATED INFLAMMATORY CONDITIONS 
Description The present invention concerns a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence SVTEQGAELSNEER, or variants thereof for use in the prophylaxis or treatment of obesity-associated inflammatory conditions such as obesity-induced chronic low-grade systemic inflammation and pancreatic beta-cell damage. Methods of treatment or prophylaxis of obesity-associated inflammatory conditions comprise administering an effective amount of a peptide comprising the amino acid sequence SVTEQGAELSNEER, or variants thereof, to a patient in need thereof. 
IP Reference PB164285GB 
Protection Patent / Patent application
Year Protection Granted 2023
Licensed No
Impact Patent has only just been filed in February 2023 prior to forthcoming paper. No notable impact yet due to the short timelines.
 
Title DHEA supplementation to reduce muscle loss (Adapt) 
Description The drug is a steroid, dehydroepiandrosterone, which declines with age and our previous work has shown also declines rapidly after trauma. As a sex hormone precursor it is involved in muscle mass maintenance and its decline was associated with muscle mass loss after injury. This trial is to establish the dose required and the delivery route (oral vs sublingual) to achieve the dose required. The two patient groups are elderly hip fracture and young trauma patients. 
Type Therapeutic Intervention - Drug
Current Stage Of Development Early clinical assessment
Year Development Stage Completed 2019
Development Status Under active development/distribution
Clinical Trial? Yes
Impact None to date 
 
Company Name Mestag Therapeutics Ltd 
Description  
Year Established 2020 
Impact None at present
Website http://mestagtherapeutics.com
 
Description A National Post-Pandemic Resilience Programme: Supporting older adults to recover from the pandemic 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact I helped lead the Physiological Society in the generation of the report "A National Post-Pandemic Resilience Programme: Supporting older adults to recover from the pandemic" focussed on the importance of physical activity in maintaining health and augmenting recovery after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020,2021
URL https://static.physoc.org/app/uploads/2021/12/15170209/National-Post-Pandemic-Resilience-Programme.p...
 
Description Active Ageing 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Study participants or study members
Results and Impact School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Birmingham themed talk on Control of Movement
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description Agewell 2018 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This was a workshop lasting one day to convey the results of studies in the area of ageing and health and to allow older adults to interact directly with researchers. Prevented in 2020 due to pandemic.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017,2018,2019
 
Description Article on the value of working with patient research partners 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact An interview about the value of engaging with patient research partners, from a researcher perspective. This was published online, tweeted about and included in our institute newsletter and University website.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
URL https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/research/inflammation-ageing/news/2021/08/researchers-perspective-patie...
 
Description BBC TV broadcast 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact BBC TV visited the David Greenfield Human Physiology Unit at the University of Nottingham to film this BBSRC funded bed-rest study.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description BBC news item and press media coverage on master cyclists 
Form Of Engagement Activity A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This was a news item on the BBC and over 30 associated press articles internationally reporting our recent publications showing that lifelong physical activity not only prevented musculoskeletal decline but also protected the immune system.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description CMAR Patient and Public Involvement Event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact CMAR members presented elements of their research to the general public at The Exchange, University of Birmingham on 06 June 2023.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description CMAR Patient and Public Involvement Event 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact CMAR members presented elements of their research to members of the public/ public involvement groups at the Town Hall, Nottingham on 15 June 2023.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description COVID Exercise YouTube 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact I made 2 You Tube videos aimed at older adults and their carers, showing them simple exercises they could do at home during lockdown to maintain or improve muscle strength and general health. The first video has so far been viewed over 100,000 times. As a result I made a second one which has also been popular.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020
URL https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k6_zJtbzMho
 
Description Co-authored publication for The Conversation 
Form Of Engagement Activity Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Media (as a channel to the public)
Results and Impact Co-authored a Birmingham Conversation Jan 2022 with Prof Janet Lord: Tackling ageing may be best way to prevent multiple chronic conditions from developing in older people
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://theconversation.com/tackling-ageing-may-be-best-way-to-prevent-multiple-chronic-conditions-f...
 
Description Contribution to CMO's 2023 annual report 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact I worked with the CMO and his team to write a chapter on geroscience in his 2023 annual report which was focussed on the health of our ageing population.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/65562ff2d03a8d000d07faa6/chief-medical-officers-annua...
 
Description Exercise and vitamin D supplementation 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Patients, carers and/or patient groups
Results and Impact Invited speaker at a local National Osteoporosis Society meeting
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Falls prevention project with Birmingham libraries 
Form Of Engagement Activity A magazine, newsletter or online publication
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This activity was done with Move it ro Lose It. 100 books and 100 "Put Pep in your Step" DVDs developed with our Centre input were placed in 4 libraries across Birmingham.
Those who borrow the book/DVD are given a voucher for a free Move it or Lose it class. 2 x 12 week programmes are running at Northfield Library and West Heath Medical Centre to test falls risk using a QTUG and then follow strength and balance classes to reduce frailty. We will evaluate progress and signpost to other community classes.This is funded by RoSPA and Birmingham South Central CCG
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Healthy Ageing talk for U3A regional meeting 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This was a lecture to the Wets Midlands U3A annual meeting, on Healthy Ageing, going through the science behind ageing processes and how to stay healthy in old age.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2021
 
Description How to Stay Young 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This was a programme made by BBC Science, in 3 parts in season 1 (2016) and 2 parts in season 2 (2017). The Centre's researchers and our PPI group featured in both and showed how to assess how well you are ageing and the benefits of physical activity.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016,2017
 
Description Invited lecture - Nutrition Society Scottish Section Conference 2022: Nutrition, immune function and infectious disease 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact I delivered an invited lecture titled "the impact of acute infection and inflammation on muscle metabolism." To attendees of teh conference and to those joining online.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.nutritionsociety.org/node/1451/programme
 
Description Invited lecture - The centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis Versus Arthritis Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact I delivered an invited lecture titled "Physical Inactivity and Musculoskeletal Degeneration" This was a national conference hosted by the Centre for Sport, Exercise and Osteoarthritis in November 2022.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.sportsarthritisresearchuk.org/conference-2022/conference-2022.aspx
 
Description Item for local TV news 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The team were interviewed for BBC West Midlands about the work of the project looking at the very early response to injury. The research team and the air ambulance crews were interviewed.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description Lecture to medical students at the Surgical Society Annual Meeting (title - What Type of Research Should I do?) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact It was a training day for medical students to get them to think about research as part of surgical medical training.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description MRC Musculoskeletal Ageing Network Launch 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact This was a workshop to launch the MRC MSK Ageing network at teh Academy of Medical Sciences in London to agree direction and strategy for the network
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description MyAGE network launch event 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact I delivered a lecture titled "Is there a better way forward for muscle ageing research?" at the inaugural meeting of the UKRI MyAge network.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description National Rheumatoid Arthritis Society (NRAS) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Regional
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact 50 patients, carers and members of the public attended to hear a discussion on our research activities and impacts and the opportunities to be involved in studies. This was followed by a question and answer session.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Pint of Science "Our Body" theme, Birmingham 2022 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact 50 members of the general public attended a Pint of Science "Our Body" theme, Birmingham, which sparked questions and discussions afterwards around human biology.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Policy Engagement Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Workshop organised and led by Prof Greig as part of MyAge and in collaboration with the UK Physiological Society. As a consequence, MyAge participated in Evidence Week, organised by the Charity Sense about Science, held at Westminster.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Princes Teaching Institute 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact This activity relates to 5 talks given at a series of workshops for secondary school science teachers organised by the Princes Teaching Institute. We have given the talks, covering Human musculoskeletal ageing, Immune ageing and The Response to Trauma to workshops around the UK. As a result we have been invited to give these talks to school pupils in the schools the teachers belong to. The original session and the ones in schools have triggered lively discussion of the topics and been very enjoyable as well as raising awareness of the two topic areas.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2014,2015,2016,2018,2020
 
Description Radio 4 item with Michael Moseley (One Long Thing) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This was a programme for Radio 4, entitled Just One Long Thing, with the well known presenter Dr Michael Moseley. He was doing a series of 40 minute discussions with leaders in their fields on topics related to health. I was discussing ways to stay healthy in old age, especially physical health, based upon my research and the research of my Centre. The programme had an amazing response and I am still getting emails and requests from other media and the public who heard the talk and enjoyed it.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
URL https://podcasts.apple.com/ie/podcast/inflammation-special-with-prof-janet-lord/id1560369423?i=10006...
 
Description Royal Society workshop on Geroscience 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Policymakers/politicians
Results and Impact This was an invitation only workshop to convey the latest developments in geroscience and the current challenges in translating ageing research advances in to clinical practice. Speakers included the Chief Medical Officer and leaders from industry who are engaged in geroscience work. The invitees included funders, politicians and policy makers as well as research leaders. A report from the meeting is in preparation.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2024
 
Description Scar Free Foundation MoD talk 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Supporters
Results and Impact This was a talk on how trauma accelerates ageing, given at the MoD in London to a wide ranging audience including 2 government ministers
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
 
Description Schools talk - the Friary 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Schools
Results and Impact This was a talk on what causes ageing, biologically, to year 11 at a large comprehensive school.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Site Visit to the Copenhagen Center for Healthy Aging, as part of the External Scientific Advisory Board 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact I was visiting the Center for Healthy Ageing as part of an external review process of the ageing research undertaken by the Center
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Symposium included within British Geriatrics Society main meeting Nov 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Other audiences
Results and Impact Symposium entitled 'Sarcopenia and frailty: understanding mechanisms and developing interventions' was included within British Geriatrics Society Autumn meeting Nov 2023. The symposium was organised and chaired by Profs Greig and Lord and included talks from CMAR members.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description Symposium presentation to British Geriatrics Society annual conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact Symposium presentation to British Geriatrics Society annual conference - topic of age-related musce deterioration with obesity and inactivity.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description TV programme - Care homes for 4 years oalds 
Form Of Engagement Activity A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press)
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This was a TV programme involving a centre member that had pre-school children visiting care home residents and then monitoring the improved mental health and physical functioning of the older adults.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Talk at the 2019 HMTRC Workshop in San Francisco (USA) 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact talk to present our preliminary data on 13C hyperpolarised MR spectroscopy study in the skeletal muscle
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019
URL https://ucsfonline-my.sharepoint.com/personal/jenna_bernard_ucsf_edu/_layouts/15/onedrive.aspx?id=%2...
 
Description Talk at the surgical research annual meeting event 2023 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact talk to present latest data for our metabolic imaging study in the skeletal muscle.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2023
URL https://surgicalresearch.org.uk/event/2023-annual-meeting/
 
Description Talks to older adults groups such as PROBUS 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This represents a series of talks to audiences of older adults varying from 30 to 150 attendees. Don by zoom in the pandemic period.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017,2018,2019,2020,2021
 
Description The Application of Stable Isotope Tracer Techniques Workshop 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Postgraduate students
Results and Impact Around 60 researchers attended a 2-day workshop introducing them to the potential application of stable isotope tracers in physiology and metabolism. The primary focus was on the musculoskeletal system and the impact of ageing. The event was deemed a success, in that feedback was extremely positive and the Physiological Society have agreed to underwrite a workshop this year, and a second workshop will be advertised for August 23. We have initiated a number of collaborations on the back of this workshop.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.physoc.org/events/the-application-of-stable-isotope-tracer-techniques-in-human-physiolog...
 
Description The Biomedical Basis of Elite Performance Physiological Society Conference 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact I was chair of the scientific organising committee for the 3rd Biomedical Basis of Elite Performance hosted at the University of Nottingham. This two-full day meeting was attended by researchers from across the globe
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
URL https://www.physoc.org/events/the-biomedical-basis-of-elite-performance-2022/
 
Description The Physiological Society report: Growing Older, Better Physiology's role in meeting the UK Government's healthy ageing mission 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact I chaired a panel of experts that generated The Physiological Society report: Growing Older, Better Physiology's role in meeting the UK Government's healthy ageing mission. This was a report aimed at raising awareness of age related decline and how physiology can positively contribute to healthy ageing.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2019,2020,2021
URL https://static.physoc.org/app/uploads/2019/10/11135853/Growing-old-better-Full-report-and-summary-do...
 
Description U3A National conference talk 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This was a lecture of how to stay healthy in old age, given at the national annual U3A conference.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2022
 
Description U3A talks 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact This is one of my regular talks to local older peoples groups, they are well attended and I do 3 or 4 a year. This is to tell them about our work and the immune and musculoskeletal systems are major focus.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
 
Description University of Birmingham Arts and Science Festival 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach Local
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact The event was entitled 'stop sitting, start moving'. It included talks about research on ageing and sedentariness followed by an exercise (seated yoga) class. The event was in collaboration with the University of Birmingham Sport and Fitness Centre.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description Webinar organised by American Federation on Ageing Research. 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach International
Primary Audience Public/other audiences
Results and Impact I did two webinars for US audiences on Healthy Ageing, going through the science behind ageing processes and how to stay healthy in old age.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2020