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Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology
The University of Edinburgh Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology (CCACE) investigates the reciprocal effects of cognitive abilities and health through the human lifecourse.
Cognitive decline being the single most feared aspect of growing old: we are committed to discovering why some people’s cognitive skills age faster than others. There are large social inequalities in health through the lifecourse: we are committed to discovering how and why intelligence from early life contributes to this inequality. We are committed to improving the training of researchers in this lifecourse cognitive research.
Research Focus
The centre develops research and training in cognitive ageing and cognitive epidemiology. Our cognitive ageing research integrates human and model systems, combined with brain imaging, molecular genetics, molecular medicine, and translation. The centre’s work aims to: elucidate the routes to the vulnerable ageing brain, and thus provide information to prevent or ameliorate cognitive disability and its negative consequences for health and wellbeing; determine the mechanisms by which lower cognitive ability through the lifecourse renders the body vulnerable to ill health and impaired wellbeing.
“The creation of this new Centre is a major encouragement for our research into the effects of cognition on life-long health and wellbeing, and of ageing on cognition. We are delighted we have created a hub for multidisciplinary research. It will go a long way towards bringing together our exciting current work, and creating opportunities for new collaborations within and beyond the University. The collaborating scientists are putting together the mechanistic accounts of how, through the lifecourse, people’s psychological qualities affect their physical functions and vice versa.”
Professor Ian Deary
CCACE Director
With an increasingly ageing population, research into cognitive ageing and the impact of intelligence on health through the lifecourse must improve. We at the Centre are training a novel kind of researcher, capable of carrying out high quality cognitive ageing and cognitive epidemiology research within the inherently interdisciplinary topic of lifelong health and wellbeing. Our Centre’s teaching is carried out at MSc, PhD and Clinical Fellowship levels, and we have a new distance learning certificate for ageing research methods for clinicians. We have a PhD programme which has led to the creation of a strong community of PhD students focused on cognitive, lifecourse-related topics.
Who we are
CCACE was formed in September 2008 with collaborative funding from the BBSRC, ESRC, EPSRC, MRC and The University of Edinburgh. It is led by Professor Ian Deary. The Centre’s core offices are based in the Department of Psychology at the University of Edinburgh, and it also has members and core staff located in Neuroscience and Edinburgh’s Western General Hospital and New Royal Infirmary.
The Centre is part of a joint research council initiative on ageing which is administered by the MRC. The programme concentrates on strengthening multidisciplinary and collaborative research into ‘Lifelong Health and Wellbeing’ within the UK focusing on three main areas: the ageing brain, frailty, and health related quality of life.
The Centre is multidisciplinary in nature, with researchers examining cognitive ageing from integrated biological, neurological, genetic, social, economic and psychological perspectives. Through the employment of ten core staff, the Centre provides the infrastructure and core services, including administrative, information systems, genetic, statistical, and technical. These support new activities, innovation and training in cognitive ageing and cognitive epidemiology research. By way of public events, workshops, publications and other media the Centre interacts with policy makers and practitioners, artists, schools, and the wider public.
Contact us
For additional information about the Centre for Cognitive Ageing and Cognitive Epidemiology, please visit our website
Alternatively you can contact our Scientific Administrator Beverly Roberts.
Department of Psychology
Edinburgh
EH8 9JZ
This article was published on Sep 14, 2012