While involved in a number of projects, I have two research priority areas. My major priority is the sarcopenia research programme. This programme of studies involves a number of interdisciplinary collaborations and organisational partnerships, with the aim to the establish population prevalence, risk factors and consequences of sarcopenia among older Australian with community and residential aged care needs.

The endpoint objective of this work is the validation and dissemination of interventions that can prevent and/or reverse sarcopenia in a cost effective manner. Given sarcopenia is a known precursor to disability, falls, morbidity and mortality, this work could have wide reaching implications for later life dignity and quality of life and national aged care expenditure.

While not the primary focus of this work, dementia and cognitive status is a priority secondary variable in all my aged care work. To date, I have led a number of exercise and physical activity projects targeting reduction in functional disability among those with dementia. This work led to an Alzheimer Australia Research Foundation Grant in 2013 and an ongoing partnership with Alzheimer Australia.

Presently, one of my PhD students hold a Alzheimer Australia Scholarship for his work investigating appropriate functional performance measures for older adults with dementia. My second programme of research is nurse and midwife health through adherence to recommended healthy lifestyle behaviours. This work has three focuses (i) workplace policy development to improve nurse health, (ii) improved individual wellness and workplace productivity, and (iii) reduce nursing and midwife workplace turnover.

With population ageing and the pending increase in complex health care conditions nurse care service are and will continue to be in demand. Intervention to promote nurse wellbeing, productivity and staff retention are essential if we wish to have a strong nurse workforce for the future.

See my grants and awards and my publications