International Working Group: Transforming the Future of Ageing

Transforming the Future of Ageing

A scientific opinion on achieving high quality healthcare access, while adjusting to demographic changes.

SAPEA's first bottom-up topic will look into the future of ageing, taking account of the current international and European policy context as well as the available scientific evidence to provide insights on how to achieve inclusive, fair and sustainable systems of health and social care, while ensuring innovation in ageing societies.

The working group

The working group will provide scientific input and is expected to meet up to four times between July and December 2018. The lead for the activity will be the Federation of the European Academies of Medicine (FEAM), working closely with other European Academy Networks in SAPEA. The scientific advice on this topic is expected to be delivered by April 2019.

Richard Reilly

Richard Reilly is Professor of Neural Engineering at Trinity College, Dublin and Director of the Trinity Centre for Bioengineering. This is a joint position between the School of Medicine and School of Engineering. He is Director and a principal investigator of the Trinity Centre for Bioengineering (TCBE) and also a principal investigator at the Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN). His research focuses on high density electrophysiologcal and neuroimaging based analysis of sensory and cognitive processing. His research also includes analysis of data acquired from implanted electrodes. His research inputs to the cross-disciplinary translational research at Trinity College on ageing specifically though the Department of Medical Gerontology and the Mercer's Institute on Successful Ageing at St. James's Hospital, Dublin. He has two start-up companies based on his research activities. He is currently the President of the European Society of Engineering and Medicine. In 2004 he was awarded a US Fulbright Award for research collaboration into multisensory integration with the Nathan Kline Institute for Psychiatric Research, New York. He was the Silvanus P. Thompson International Lecturer for the Institute of Electrical Engineers from 1999-2001. Professor Reilly received his BE degree in electronic engineering, a MEngSc and a PhD in biomedical engineering from University College Dublin.

Rose Anne Kenny

Rose Anne Kenny is Professor of Medical Gerontology, at Trinity College Dublin. Rose Anne was appointed, in 2005, to Trinity College and St. James's Hospital, as Head of the Academic Department of Medical Gerontology and holds the Chair of Medical Gerontology. Rose Anne is the founding Principal Investigator of The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (tilda.ie), where she leads a team of multidisciplinary researchers focusing on psychology, nursing, medicine, physiotherapy, economics, bio-engineering social sciences and health economics as aspects of the ageing process in Ireland. Rose Anne is also the Director of Trinity EngAGE - the Centre for Research in Ageing at Trinity College, Mercer's Institute for Successful Ageing (MISA) and the Falls and Blackout Unit at St. James's Hospital. Formerly Professor of Geriatric Medicine at the Institute for Ageing & Health, Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK, she has been a world leader in research into cardiovascular and mobility disorders in ageing. Rose Anne has been invited faculty and keynote speaker at many international meetings and societies of geriatric medicine, cardiology, psychiatry and neurology. Rose Anne is widely published over 350 peer reviewed publication, 4 textbooks and 51 book chapters. Her current H-Index is 51, according to SCOPUS bibliometrics (November 2015). Her contribution to science and in particular, the field of ageing, has been recognised by many awards, including the Lady Illingworth Research Award - made once of every five years to researcher who has contributed most to age-related research in the UK, the UK National BUPA Foundation Care Award 'For excellence in the development of care of older people' and NHS Modernization Award among many others. Rose Anne was elected as a Member of the Royal Irish Academy (MRIA) in 2014, the highest academic honour in Ireland and a public recognition of academic excellence and achievement. Professor Kenny is a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin and of the Royal College of Physicians in Ireland, London and Edinburgh.