Page 13 - Pulse @ UM 2018

RESEARCH SPOTLIGHT

PUSHING UM INTO THE FOREFRONT OF

HEALTH RESEARCH ON AGEING IN ASIA

Tan Maw Pin (Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya)
ageing as a challenge, we
embrace it as an opportunity.
Like many developing Collaboration, raw enthusiasm,
countries worldwide and many and sheer hard work saw the
Far-Eastern Asian nations establishment of the Malaysian
which have progressed rapidly, Falls Assessment and
Malaysia is experiencing Intervention Trial (MyFAIT), the
accelerated ageing. This Malaysian
Malaysian Elders Longitudinal
means that while the world Research (MELoR) and Frailty
population
populationaged 60 years and in Geriatric Inpatients (FIG), as
over is set to increase from 600 our first three large studies.
million to 1.4 billion from 2000 Since then, we have developed
to 2030, a 133% increase, the a portfolio of research into the
Malaysian population aged 60 fields of oral health, HIV, viral
years and over will increase infections, nutrition and artificial
infections, nutrition and artificial
from 1.4 million to nearly 5 feeding, dementia, frailty, falls, a Long Term Research Grant for
million
million from 2000 to 2030, a psychology of ageing, syncope, the TUA study of neuroprotective
250% increase. Ageing is stroke in ageing, social factors for healthy longevity
associated with an increasing participation, arthritis, urinary which involves gerontological
number of medical conditions incontinence, and sexual researchers from UKM, UPM,
and increased disability, which dysfunction. and UiTM. We have
will therefore, drastically also
also established numerous
increase the demands on Our motto, “We work with international partnerships which
healthcare
healthcareservices. The World everybody”, uses a multi- include: University of Sydney
Health Organization has disciplinary approach and (Australia), University of Curtin
consistently been sending out a inclusiveness. As a result, we (Australia), National Ageing
clear message that developing now work with nearly all Research Institute (Australia),
nations are not doing enough to departments in the Faculty of National Neurological Institute
address population ageing. Medicine with additional joint (Singapore),
(Singapore), Newcastle University
projects
projects with Biomedical (United Kingdom), University of
The Ageing and Imaging, Department of Aberdeen (United Kingdom),
Age-Associated Disorders Medicine, Centre of Excellence Thammasat University (Thailand),
Research Group was for Research in Aids (CeRiA), and DUKE-NUS (Singapore).
established in 2012 by a group National Orthopaedics Centre We have also been successful in
of UM academics interested in of Excellent for Research and obtaining international grants
the field of health research in Learning (NOCERAL), whichincludes a Newton-Ungku
which
Pharmacy
ageing from the healthcare Pharmac, and Surgery. Omar Institutional Links fund
disciplines of cardiology,
disciplines (jointly with University of
emergency medicine, geriatrics In addition, we also Liverpool) and UK National
, nursing studies, molecular take pride in establishing Institute of Health Research
medicine, ophthalmology, collaborations with all other Global Health Research Group
palliative medicine, primary Faculties in UM, including on Dementia.
care medicine, rehabilitation the Sports Centre. Our
medicine, and rheumatology. collaborations with national
While
While many view population institutions are sealed through
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https:// resfom.um.edu.my Issue 1 Year 2018