1. Australian Ageing Research Agenda Priorities and Challenges David Le Couteur Professor of Geriatric Medicine Centre for Education and Research on Ageing University of Sydney

2. UNITED NATIONS http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/ageing/ageimpl.htm Demographers note a demographic revolution, wherein the proportions of the young and the old will undergo a historic crossover...This portrait of change in the world's population parallels the magnitude of the industrial revolution - traditionally considered the most significant social and economic breakthrough in the history of humankind since the Neolithic period.

3. Old age is the main risk factor for disease and disability after 28 yrs (Harman 2001) 1 in 5 hospital days are > 80yrs

4. Evidence for healthcare –little evidence for efficacy >4% of RCT are older people –efficacy often absent –adverse outcomes greater

5. Future $$ predictions Baby boomers graduate to retirement in 2011 Intergenerational Report, costs associated with ageing will amount to $84 billion within 40 years Health care - $15.5 billion Pharmaceuticals - $46.5 billion Aged care and pensions - $22 billion

6. Evidence for health policy (AHR, Lowe & Kasap, 2002) “New ways of doing things in health care are usually introduced with little or no scientific evaluation … Political and economic imperatives, often seeming to be based on little other than the whim of State or Commonwealth ministers results in management directives to rationalize reformulate and change tried and tested systems...”

7. Where is ageing research in Australia? NATIONAL RESEARCH PRIORITY AREAS 17 areas covering defence, environment, technology and health “Ageing well, ageing productively”

8. NHMRC Scoping Study (CERA, NARI consortium) designated ageing/geriatric research poorly funded minor NHMRC representation productive in terms of publications performed by “non-ageing” researchers

9. NHMRC Project Grants 2000 Includes 8 grants on dementia

10. NHMRC Australian Biomedical Research 1998 Butler, Biglia and Bourke Geriatrics was the lowest of all categories

11. PubMed citations 1996-2000

12. Survey of Australian ageing researchers N=79 average age 45 42% research degree 49% hospitals, 25% university, 20% institute 61% medical, 25% science, 14% other

13. The conclusions of the report Ageing research –primary focus on ageing –multidisciplinary –interface with health care Infrastructure needs – career development – ageing animals – longitudinal studies

14. Ageing research will succeed if targeted funding and seeding –area of extraordinary need vs current orphan status primary focus on ageing –not disease, gene or methodology multidisciplinary –ageing is complex therefore solutions will be multifaceted