The Healthy Later Living Network works with external partners from the health and social care, public, and third sectors to address the challenges in this area. By engaging with these organisations and with older adults directly, the network can better understand the needs, priorities, and challenges for maintaining independence and mobility and address these through collaborative research.

In parallel, our researchers are working with health and social care organisations, and the housing, retirement, and care sectors, to address the implications of declining independence and mobility from a policy and service-needs perspective.

• Exercise medicine and the prevention of non-communicable diseases
• Behavioural science
• Orthopaedic (musculo-skeletal) engineering​
• Rehabilitation, falls and balance
• Mental health in older adulthood​
• Assistive technology​
• Sensory and cognitive impairment​
• Socio-economic determinants
• Health services
• Preventing lifestyle linked diseases
• Wearable technologies

Fastball EEG
Psychologists from the University have developed a revolutionary approach to early Alzheimer's diagnosis. This innovative research involves participants viewing a series of flashing pictures on a computer, whilst wearing an EEG cap which measures their brainwave activity. More on this project.

Exercise Snacking for Falls and Memory Clinic Inpatients
Working with the Research Institute for Care of the Elderly Centre in Bath to explore the acceptability of a 28-day homebased exercise snacking in outpatients attending the memory clinic. This study will improve understanding of how zero-cost exercise strategies can potentially improve muscle function and delay frailty of older adults.

REtirement in ACTion (REACT) study
This study looks to assess the effectiveness of a physical activity intervention designed to reduce mobility disability in older people. More on this project.

The following academics are involved in this research theme:

• Professor Fiona Gillison, Healthy Later Living Network Lead, Department for Health: Applying psychological theories to help people to change their health behaviours to promote health and wellbeing in later life.
• Professor James Bilzon, Department for Health: Exercise and rehabilitation science, the role of exercise in the prevention of chronic conditions, assistive healthcare technologies, human and applied physiology.
• Dr Ricardo Codinhoto, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering: Supporting the design practice for health and wellbeing.
• Professor Richie Gill, Department of Mechanical Engineering: Healthcare and orthopaedic engineering, modelling of biological systems alongside hip and knee joint function.
• Dr. Polly McGuigan, Department for Health: Changes to the muscle architecture, mechanics and recruitment with age and injury. Enhancing neuromuscular system performance with training and technology.
• Dr Oliver Perkin, Department for Health: Previous work on exercise interventions to improve muscle function in healthy older adults and work involving researching the potential to alleviate vitamin D deficiency in adults who are overweight. Recent work on exercise snacking in older adults self-isolating during the pandemic.
• Dr George Stothart, Department of Psychology: Development of new EEG technique for assessing cognitive deficits in dementia, ageing and neurological disorders.
• Professor Dylan Thompson, Department for Health: Biology of ageing, including how we can use physical activity and diet to improve health outcomes in older people.
• Dr Max Western, Department for Health: Improving quality of life for older people, digital technologies and their role in contributing to healthy lifestyles, exercise and health communication.

See our team page for a full list.