Research Question
How can we better understand the changes that happen as we age & how do these changes increase the risk of common health problems?
Aims
The CoAGE graduate programme aims to improve our knowledge of how ageing affects the body & contributes to conditions such as heart disease, loss of muscle strength, obesity & weaker immune responses. By bringing together experts from different fields & using large population studies with advanced technologies, the programme seeks to find ways to support healthier, longer lives.
Objectives
1. To find early warning signs of heart problems such as heart failure & blood clots, by studying e.g. blood markers & medical scans
2. To study the loss of muscle strength & loss linked with obesity & to discover biological signals that affect survival in older adults
3. To create a “biological ageing clock” that uses computer models to estimate how fast different organs are ageing & to predict the risk of major diseases
4. To explore how thyroid health (a gland that controls metabolism) affects the body’s immune response to COVID-19 infection & vaccination
5. To investigate how city living-such as exposure to air pollution, noise, temperature & green spaces-affects heart and metabolic health
6. To understand differences between men & women in metabolism and blood vessel health, to improve personalised prevention & treatment
Scientific Rationale
As people live longer, more older adults are experiencing several long-term health problems at the same time. Understanding why this happens is essential for public health & healthcare systems. By studying biological processes (like how proteins and metabolism change), environmental influences (such as pollution and green space), and clinical features (like heart function), CoAGE research aims to spot risks earlier, prevent disease & design more tailored treatments. This will help individuals stay healthier as they age & reduce the impact of ageing on society.
