The Medical Research Council is a publicly-funded organisation dedicated to improving human health. The MRC invests in world-class scientists. It has produced 29 Nobel Prize winners and sustains a flourishing environment for internationally recognised research. The MRC focuses on making an impact and provides the financial muscle and scientific expertise behind medical breakthroughs, including one of the first antibiotics penicillin, the structure of DNA and the lethal link between smoking and cancer.

Today, MRC-funded scientists tackle research into the major health challenges of the 21st century. One of these challenges is the ageing population - one in six people in the UK is over 65 years old, and by 2033 it is projected that a quarter of the population will be. Ageing is inevitable, but it is not uniform. It is influenced by a variety of factors including genetics and socioeconomic circumstances and average life expectancy varies by as much as 14 years across the UK.

A Strategy for Collaborative Ageing Research in the UK has been developed as part of the Life Long Health and Wellbeing programme, led by the MRC. It advocates collaboration between experts from all disciplines as a means to solve the challenges an ageing population represents.

www.mrc.ac.uk