All this week, the BBC’s Living Life Longer series will focus on the University’s key research areas into ageing to assess what people can do to aim to ensure a happy and healthy long life.   

Topics covered during the week will include ways to try to prevent dementia, the importance of eating well and exercising in old age, how the brain ages, why being lonely is bad for your health, and research that can tell how well people are ageing inside.

Internationally acclaimed research

Professor Louise Robinson,  Director of Newcastle University’s Institute for Ageing, who is part of Living Life Longer, welcomes the series.

She said: “We are in the fortunate position of living longer but unfortunately these extra years may not be spent in good health due to age-related illnesses, such as dementia and arthritis.

“At Newcastle University we undertake internationally acclaimed research looking at both how people can live better for longer and also how we can improve the quality of health care they receive."

Living Life Longer will be broadcast from Monday, May 23, until Friday, May 27, on BBC One’s Look North, from 6:30pm.