European ageing network set to address the challenge of healthy ageing
The EuroAgeNet European partnership led by University of Liverpool will explore how humans age and aims to develop new interventions to support healthy ageing.
5 of the UK wide Ageing Research Networks (UKAN) – ECMage, BLAST, CFIN, AGENTS and Food4Years are forming a partnership with 20 institutions across Europe and Israel. This initiative has been made possible via the UKRI securing better health, ageing and wellbeing strategic theme in providing funds for the Global Partnering Awards.
Population ageing is a global issue which poses a number of problems in healthcare, society and economics. Research in ageing currently focuses on many different aspects of ageing from cell to the society.
The aim of this European network is to bring together several aspects of ageing research and create international activities, developing existing collaborations or support new ones with researchers from across the globe. The key focus of the network is the challenge of healthy ageing, especially in the last decade of life.
Dr Elizabeth Laird, Department of Musculoskeletal and Ageing Science, Institute of Life Courses and Medical Sciences, University of Liverpool and Director of ECMage and EuroAgeNet said: “Our European consortium brings together a group of world-leading institutions and experts in ageing research, from the underlying biology of ageing, to tissue engineering, cognition, nutrition and food systems.
An increasingly aged population means people are living longer but may become unwell during this time. The network is taking a multi-pronged approach to improve health and wellbeing in older people.
Through exchange of ideas and expertise, and capacity building; the interdisciplinary and cross-disciplinary partnerships will focus on transformative ideas that can generate scientific, interventional, and societal impact.”
The future of healthy ageing
The EuroAgeNet partnership aims to build capacity in the ageing arena, facilitate scientists from different backgrounds working together, and build research communities, whilst increasing scientific understanding.
Through an interdisciplinary approach, the researchers aim to explore how people age and start developing pharmaceutical, behavioural, lifestyle and clinical ways to help people age more healthily and improve their lifespan.
According to Dr Laird “Effective strategies to promote healthy ageing depend on understanding and harnessing the biological factors driving ageing. We aim to accelerate progress with global collaborative ventures between world-leading scientists spanning several disciplines.
Dr Kambiz Alavian, lead for a parallel initiative with North American institutions stated: “True societal impact in this area requires a comprehensive understanding of the problem at all levels and a global effort to bring together solutions from a range of scientific disciplines”.
About the UKRI securing better health, ageing and wellbeing strategic theme
Securing better health, ageing and wellbeing is one of five strategic themes outlined in UKRI’s five-year strategy: Transforming Tomorrow Together 2022 to 2027. It aims to improve population health, tackle the health inequalities affecting people and communities, and advance interventions that keep us healthier for longer. Visit the UKRI website to find out more about available funding opportunities.