On 1 October, the Brunel Older People's Reference Group – known as BORG – hosted its annual Autumn Seminar to celebrate the International Day of Older Persons.
The United Nations established the day to raise public awareness about the opportunities and challenges with ageing populations and to mobilise the families, community groups and stakeholders to address the difficulties faced by older people.
This aligns closely with the reasons behind BORG, which was set up in 2009 by researchers with a special interest in ageing and who wanted to raise the profile of Brunel University of London's Ageing Studies research. This group of local over-50s is used to invite people to take part in cutting-edge research projects, as well as being project advisors, co-researchers, and supportive audiences for public lectures and seminars.
This year’s Autumn Seminar, held in the university’s Beldam room, was a resounding success, drawing an audience of more than 60 attendees, bringing together researchers and members of the local community.
The seminar featured a series of insightful presentations from academics from across Brunel’s College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, highlighting current research and innovative projects related to ageing. This included talks on:
- community development, by Dr Cristina Asenjo Palma (Lecturer in Social Work)
- multiple long-term conditions, by Dr Claire Nolan (Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy)
- innovative technology for the management of different health conditions, by Dr Vicky MacBean (Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy), Dr Georgia Spiliotopoulou (Senior Lecturer in Occupational Therapy) and Dr Byron Creese (Senior Lecturer in Psychology)
- the outcomes of physical assessments conducted during the Brunel Research Festival 2024, by Dr Dan Low (Senior Lecturer in Sports, Health and Exercise Sciences).
The audience engaged in lively and informed discussions on the implications of the work presented and provided valuable suggestions for further research. The event concluded with an interactive debate on priorities for future ageing research and perspectives on the further development of the BORG.
Dr Elmar Kal, the Senior Lecturer in Physiotherapy who chaired the event, remarked on the significance of bringing together researchers and the community to exchange ideas and inform practice. “Events like these are essential to ensure that our research is aligned with people’s real-world experiences and needs,” he said. “Our ageing research really benefits enormously from the contributions of our BORG members – and we are incredibly grateful for that.”
BORG will organise additional seminars and activities throughout the academic year, with its Winter Seminar scheduled to take place on 4 December.
BORG welcomes local over-50s to join its mailing list. To sign up, visit the BORG website.
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