Professor Dame Louise Robinson was recognised at Buckingham Palace for her services to Primary Care and for improving older people's quality of life and the care they receive.

Speaking after the ceremony yesterday, she said: “It was a huge honour to attend the celebration.

“I am very proud to receive this title from the Duke of Cambridge in recognition for my work which, to me, has been not a job but a lifelong passion to improve the care of older people, especially those living with dementia."

Expert in ageing

As a professor of primary care and ageing, Dame Louise is Director of Newcastle University’s Institute for Ageing, where academics, clinicians and researchers come together.

She was key in the £40m Government bid for Newcastle University to host the National Innovation Centre for Ageing - the first to bring a collaboration of business, academia and the public to develop products and services to improve lives as we get older.

Dame Louise’s research, in over 120 academic papers, focuses on helping people remain independent in old age and facilitating healthy ageing across their lifetime.

By Royal appointment, she received the only Regius Professorship of Ageing.

Her work to improve the care of those with dementia was recognised with the first NIHR professorship for her ‘Living well with dementia’ programme, and the Alzheimer Society funded £1.7m for her to set up a ‘Centre of Excellence’ at Newcastle University for dementia care research.

Dame Louise has twice been awarded the National Clinical Champion for Ageing by the Royal College of General Practitioners, she is currently leading a £2m Global Health Research programme.

Tackling dementia

Dr Fiona Carragher, Chief Policy and Research Officer at Alzheimer Society, said: “We’d like to offer our congratulations to Professor Dame Louise Robinson on her investiture.

“Her commitment to tackling dementia as a clinician and a researcher is already making a huge difference to the lives of people affected by dementia.

“Her research at the Pri-Dem Centre of Excellence, based at Newcastle University, will give us the evidence to end the postcode lottery of dementia care after a diagnosis across the UK.

“We are proud to support her research through our ground breaking Centres of Excellence, addressing issues in dementia care in urgent need of research.

“By working with researchers like Professor Dame Robinson, we will make breakthroughs to ensure the 850,000 people living with dementia in the UK receive the care they need and can live well.”