Healthy Ageing Research & Practice Group

MusiCare project, funded by the Dunhill Medical Trust. Dr Emma Ward, Dr Fabia Franco, Dr Anthony Mangiacotti, Prof Martin Van Puyvelde (University of Brussels), Prof Gianfranco Gabai (University of Padova), Dr Michele Biasutti (University  of Padova), Dr Mind Hung Hsu (Anglia Ruskin University), and Dr Giovanni Di Liberto (Di Liberato Lab). This project aimed to assess the impact of different format of music therapy on cognitive function and wellbeing in healthy, community-dwelling older adults and older adults with mild to moderate cognitive impairment living in care homes.

Dr Laura Wilson, Dr Luke Oates, Dr Emma Ward. The aim of this project is to investigate the effectiveness of a STHA strategy in older individuals. The research will shed light on the effectiveness of the strategy, and inform policy for older and/or vulnerable individuals to protect them against the detrimental impacts of extreme heat during heatwaves.

A collaborative project between Jozef Stefan Institute (Slovenia) and the Research Group on Development of Intelligent Environments to assess complementary tools, methods and datasets which can support emerging projects and initiatives. Funded by The Royal Society through the International Exchanges Scheme (2023-2025).

Narratives of the Greek Civil War, funded by the Independent Social Research Foundation. Dr Anastasia Christou (with Professor Domna Michail, University of Western Macedonia and Dr Raymondos Alvanos, Hellenic Open University, Greece). While the topic is historical, the ethnography is contemporary (collecting oral histories from both first and subsequent generations, including 90+ year olds) and the themes of war, trauma, memory, public history are timely with particular links to gendered and generational aspects of these.

Dr Anne Elliott and Dr Laura Wilson. A number of chronic conditions will be considered with consideration of rehabilitative effects and outcomes of rebounding.

Digital Poverty in the UK, Funded by the British Academy. Prof George Dafoulas, Dr Akiko Ueno & Prof Charles Dennis. Draws attention to levels of digital exclusion in the UK, which increase almost exponentially with age.

Dr Emma Ward, with Dr Alexander Jones and Dr Jon Silas (Jones, Silas, & Ward lab), with funding from the Experimental Psychology Society, Leverhulme Trust, and Bial Foundation. We are examining lifespan changes in explicit and implicit memory, and looking at the effects of cognitive processing, attention, and temporal expectation, as well as the underlying neural mechanisms.

Dance for Joy is an authentic disco experience for older individuals in the community, which promotes health and wellbeing, and reduces isolation.  The initiative takes inspiration from countries such as Japan and South Korea, whose populations continue to participate in dance and movement activities as they grow older, and this has proven beneficial for psychological and physical health. It is an opportunity for guests to dance to their favourite songs in a relaxed environment. Contact: Dr Lucy Irving.

Middlesex Psychology department (organised by Prof Antonia Bifulco, Dr Emma Ward, Dr Fabia Franco, and Dr Anthony Mangiacotti) has hosted annual speaker series (2019, 2022, 2023) for local U3A members. Includes talks from academics on topics ranging from memory and cognition, psychological wellbeing, relationships across the lifespan, physical activity and ageing, artificial intelligence, dyslexia, and dance and ageing.

Dr Emma Ward, Dr Chris Berry (University of Plymouth) & Prof David Shanks (UCL) secured a competitive 6-week residency at the Science Museum in South Kensington, within the Live Science Gallery. How much of what we see do we remember?