The UCL Institute of Healthy Ageing is a world-class centre of excellence for research on the biology of ageing and ageing-related diseases.
Our primary purpose is to bring together researchers working on the biology of ageing (biogerontology) with those working to understand the causes of ageing-related disease. By merging the two, we aim to develop new translational biogerontology using the ageing process as a point of intervention to protect against the diseases of old age.Our goal is to improve the health and quality of life for older people.
The aim of research at the IHA is to discover the mechanisms of ageing as a means to discover the etiologies (causes) of the many diseases of ageing. These range from major causes of human mortality, such as cardiovascular disease (e.g. heart failure), cancer and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (e.g. emphysema), to the numerous causes of late-life disability, such as dementia (e.g. Alzheimer’s disease), osteoporosis (a cause of hip fracture) and macular degeneration (which causes loss of eyesight). To understand these diseases, we need to understand the biological basis of the ageing process. Arguably, this is key to being able to develop effective treatments to impede the development of late-life illness and improve late-life health.