University College London CRUCIBLE, supported by BBSRC, EPSRC, ESRC and MRC

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Advances in medical science over the past fifty years have resulted in increasingly ageing populations which now present a major issue for developed and developing countries alike. The challenge for society in the twenty-first century is to ensure that this increased longevity is accompanied by the maintenance of quality of life. The World Health Organisation defines ?active ageing? as ?the process of optimising opportunities for health, participation and security in order to enhance quality of life as people age?. An understanding of the ageing process throughout an individual?s lifetime and what parameters determine quality of life are crucial to conducting research which will provide meaningful solutions on which to base policy decisions. This will need to encompass research on: the basic biology of ageing; diseases/conditions which affect individuals as they age both physically and mentally; therapeutic and other interventions to ameliorate morbidity; epidemiology of ageing populations; engineering, architectural and design considerations; social and cultural issues; ethical and legal ramifications; economic factors. Researchers working in all of these areas can make significant individual contributions to the subject but what is increasingly required is a ?holistic? approach where not only do outcomes in one area inform research in other disciplines but where investigators are able to work together to tackle specific issues (interdisciplinary). Although it is recognised that this method of conducting research is essential to tackling all the major global issues, it is still relatively new and investigators trained to think in this way are few in number. UCL has expertise and experience in all the disciplines listed above and the aim of the Centre will be to add-value to existing research in ageing by encouraging and facilitating a more interdisciplinary approach. Of crucial importance will be the education programmes that are planned which will produce a cadre of future researchers, trained to think more broadly across the disciplines, who are comfortable working outside their core areas of expertise. A further important feature of the Centre will be the involvement of the end-users of the research - the ageing population, whether fit or infirm and frail, - to ensure that the work undertaken and the new ideas generated are truly relevant. A high priority of the Centre will therefore be to ensure translation of outcomes into meaningful benefits for the Lifelong Health and Wellbeing of the general population.