Ageing-On: fostering healthy and stimulating ageing for all people

Currently, the elderly population is the fastest growing people group in the world. According to the data of the UN’s “World Population Prospects” report, it is expected for people aged 60 or over to double by 2050 and triple by 2100; sky-rocketing from 962 million in 2017 to 2.1 billion by 2050, and 3.1 billion by 2100.

In the Basque Country, the population over 65 already accounts for 22% of the overall population. In this context, an increasing amount of specific policies and actions are implemented to promote active ageing and achieve the best quality of life possible.

This is precisely one of the goals of the Ageing-On research group of the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), directed by Dr. Jon Irazusta and made up by specialists with a multi-disciplinary training. More specifically, the main goal of this team is to improve the quality of life of the elderly through their participation in physical and cognitive exercise programmes that are tailored to each person’s needs.

Begoña Sanz, PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology by the UPV/EHU and Ageing-On researcher shall be responsible for presenting the group’s work to the public and will share the advantages of this type of programmes in a conference under the title “Ageing On: Fostering healthy and stimulating ageing for all people”, which will be held on 30 January, at 7pm at the Bidebarrieta Library in Bilbao (Calle Bidebarrieta, 4).

During the talk, the researcher will expound on how this type of exercise programmes have a positive impact in the physical, cognitive and psychological improvement of the participants and will analyse the fundamental role of this sort of training in healthy ageing.

Begoña Sanz, who is currently employed as an associate professor at the Department of Physiology of the UPV/EHU, is a lecturer in the Medicine Degree, the Master on Biomedical Research, and the Master on Healthy Ageing and Quality of Life at the UPV/EHU. Her research career is linked to the study of molecular biomarkers, one of the parameters addressed by the Ageing-On group.

This talk is part of the “Scientific Bidebarrieta” series, an initiative organised every month by the Chair of Scientific Culture of the UPV/EHU and Bidebarrieta Library to discuss current scientific issues.

All of the talks are free of charge and open to all, subject to seating capacity. However, in order to enter, invitations must be obtained from the library, which are available from 25 January. Invitations can be collected from 10am to 2pm and from 4pm to 8pm, Monday to Friday.

For those who are not able to attend, the talks are streamed live here.