Training & Events

The following events were held during the life of the project.

Thursday 27^th June 2019 – Edgbaston Park Hotel, Birmingham, UK

Grant Writing Workshop

This workshop addressed the 'do’s and don’ts' of writing research proposals to secure funding. Researchers were able to look through examples of real proposals in an interactive session, discussing the positives and negatives of each one. They learned how to write with clarity and accuracy, as well as tips and tricks to make the process as pain-free as possible.

Wednesday 26^th June 2019 – Edgbaston Park Hotel, Birmingham, UK

Conference - Lifestyle Influences on Healthy Ageing – Next Generation of Challenges

This conference was the the final PANINI conference co-designed by older people aimed at older people, academics and health professionals. It was an opportunity to showcase our research findings and consider questions about the ‘next generation’ of issues that researchers, older people and health professionals could explore ready for the future challenge of ageing populations. Keynote speakers included Dr. Davide L Vetrano (University of Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden) Prof. Janice Thompson (University of Birmingham) and Richard Faragher (University of Brighton).

1^st October 2018, TNO, Leiden, Netherlands

Advanced Training Course (ATC) 6 - Business Engagement

ATC6 was an introduction to formulating a business model towards a sustainable products and services portfolio; formulating a business case for innovations; attracting investors and venture capital; and how to protect the Intellectual Property (IP) portfolio. This will be delivered by the projects IP lead TNO.

Local Public Engagement Event, Vrije Universetiet, Amsterdam, Netherlands

Recipes for Healthy Ageing

Our ESRs alongside Dutch Fellows will be collecting data from older people in Amsterdam. It is an event that would assess the ‘impact of Knowledge and Education on Sarcopenia prevalence in a cohort of Dutch older adults’ by measuring before an educational intervention, and the incidence of sarcopenia. The event successfully helped 106 Dutch older adults learn and discuss options for healthy and active ageing.

2^nd October 2018, TNO, Netherlands

Advanced Training Course (ATC) 7 - Enterprise training

ATC7 considered which enterprise skills and creativity is required to translate research activity into products, patents and spin-off companies. This was delivered by the TNO team.

Monday 29th – Tuesday 30th January 2018, University Hospital, Birmingham, UK, 9-5pm

Healthcare Setting

An introduction and overview of a hospital setting at University Hospital Birmingham for older people as patients and the clinical practitioners. As well as a tour of the newly designed hospital, participants got a chance to hear about the functionality of the hospital’s paperless system, older people and medicine, feedback and listening to the patient, falls prevention and support towards normality, nutrition, trauma and accelerated ageing. This will focus on older people as patients and the rehabilitation of returning home.

Wednesday 31st January 2018, University of Birmingham, UK

Advanced Training Course - Translation of research into product

There were 2 presentations that showcased how research can lead to entrepreneurship or a business opportunity.

Firstly Personal Genomics (Italy) talked about how they have translated genetic/epigenetic biomarkers research into a commercial tool. Then Move it or Lose it (MIOLI) discussed how Physical activity research has turned into an intervention product and business.

Visiting Scientist – Professor Richard Faragher

Richard Faragher is Professor of Biogerontology at the University of Brighton and is past Chair of both the British Society for Research on Ageing and the International Association of Biomedical Gerontology. Richard talked to researchers about opportunities available to them in both the academic fields and in industry.

1^st February 2018, University of Birmingham, UK

Healthy Ageing Event and Exhibition

Our PANINI launch and public engagement event, gave local people the opportunity to meet the researchers and supervisors in person to find out about the research being carried out and how you can be involved. Approximately 60 people attended the event. 33 people returned questionnaires and 5 were interviewed on the day at the end of the event to provide a more detailed response.

4^th – 5^th April 2017, University of Jyvaskyla, Finland

Advanced Training Course (ATC) 1 – Biology of Ageing

Our first ATC will explore the Biology of Ageing, including the theories of ageing and immune and endocrine ageing by Professor Janet Lord; Brain ageing and cognition by Dr Nadine Santos; and also Musculoskeletal ageing; Sarcopenia and skeletal muscle responsiveness to exercise and nutrition by Dr Carolyn Greig

Advanced Training Course (ATC) 2 - Physical activity and ageing

University of Jyvaskla’s staff, Professor Sarianna Sipila and Professor Taija Finni will discuss the Physical activity interventions for healthy ageing to give an overview of physical activity and ageing.

Advanced Training Course (ATC) 3 - Nutrition and ageing

ATC will be focus on Nutrition and ageing, covering topics such as Genetics and longevity by Professor Paolo Garagnani; Nutritional intake, sarcopenia and physical activity by Professor Andrea Maier and finally dietary patterns and ethnic and cultural variations by Professor Janice Thompson.

Advanced Training Course (ATC) 4 - Outreach & dissemination

Professor Anna Whittaker will discuss how disseminating research and communicating to wider non-specialist audiences in different ways can take your research further. Joanne Plumb will give an insight into patient/participant involvement (PPI) and how getting patients involved can enhance your results. Scriptoria Ltd will deliver a workshop on how to communicate research to non-specialist audiences. It will encourage researchers to develop, present and justify their own approaches.