A new research laboratory has opened at St Pancras Hospital, which will help improve health outcomes for older people.

The St Pancras Healthy Ageing Lab is a purpose-built research facility which includes a clinical assessment area, as well as dedicated resources and equipment that can help understand the diseases of ageing, and develop therapies against them.

The lab is a collaboration between CNWL and University College London, led by Professor’s Simon Conroy, Daniel Davis and Alex Tsui, aiming to improve the assessments and treatments for older people.

An expanding older population

The population in England continues to grow and it also continues to age. As of 2021, more than one in six people were aged 65 years and over. This is higher than ever before.

In Camden where the lab is based, there has been a 3.4 percent increase in people aged 65 and over.

Projections suggest the number of people living with illnesses such as dementia and cancer will rise over the next 20 years, mostly driven by the ageing population.

CNWL Chief Executive, Claire Murdoch, said:

“Healthy ageing is one of the biggest challenges of our time. We’re all living longer and what this poses society is enormous economic, health and humanitarian challenges.

“On top of this, many older people are living with several long-term conditions and many are living alone, lonely and isolated. More time in poor health impacts their quality of life, and places huge demands on health and social care.

“Providing services suitable for older adults is a priority for the NHS. The big piece is the weaving of research and innovation through our everyday practice. Not only is person-centred care vital, we have to lean into the research agenda.”

Putting research findings into practice

The Healthy Ageing Lab allows for unique research opportunities by bringing together clinicians from many disciplines, and an exchange of knowledge between academics and staff.

The lab is located on CNWL’s rehabilitation unit for older adults and staffed by researchers, consultants, therapists, data analysts and support staff from both organisations.

By using equipment to monitor and measure brain activity such as saccadomoters and EEG (electroencephalogram), researchers hope to gain insights into neurological conditions such as dementia, delirium and stroke as well as neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease, among many others.

Picture shows an EEG (electroencephalogram) cap worn by Chief Operating Officer, Graeme Caul, which measures brain waves. 

Pictures shows a saccadomoter, worn by Divisional Medical Director, Dr Paul Hopper.

The lab also has facilities for taking and storing blood as well as other samples for research studies.

Consultant from University College London, Professor Alex Tsui, said:

“If we can greater understand these conditions, we’re able to prevent and treat them. We’re not going to rely on the status quo in clinical care. We want to translate what we find ‘underneath the hood’ to our patients and take this into the next generation. We’ve got the people and the team to do it.

“We have something unique because we’re at the interface of academia and clinical care. We sit in between hospitals; the community and we see patients recovering. We’re seeing the full breadth of a patient’s trajectory so we know the questions we need to ask.”

Keeping people healthier for longer

Stimulating multidisciplinary research and innovation can pave the way towards the development of novel treatments, leading to breakthroughs for increasing the quality of life in old age.

Researchers aim to have a greater focus on prevention, and translate their findings into future public health and new therapies (both nationally and locally).

Consultant Geriatrician, Professor Simon Conroy, joined CNWL in 2021 at St Pancras Rehabilitation Unit. He researches different models of care for older people living with frailty. 

Professor Conroy said: “This is a really exciting time to be working in Camden, bringing research into clinical practice to improve older people’s quality of life.”