Brunel Institute for Ageing Studies (BIAS)

The Brunel Institute for Ageing Studies (BIAS) is a research centre and collaborative network bringing together staff from different schools in Brunel University for the purpose of conducting interdisciplinary research in gerontology.

The Brunel Institute for Ageing Studies (BIAS) was founded in the summer of 2007. The fundamental goal of BIAS is the advancement of knowledge in the field of ageing with the aim of improving the quality of life and health of older people.

Almost all gerontology research programmes address two fundamental questions, and ours is no different.

These questions are:

• How can we ensure that people age happily, healthily and free of disability?
• For those who become ill and disabled, how can we ensure that interventions and care are provided effectively, efficiently and in line with the perceived needs and wishes of older people themselves?

These questions raise issues from the cellular level, through individual human ageing, to social policy. These questions also raise a number of very interesting ethical and legal issues about ageing populations and how best to ensure that care at the end of life respects the rights of older people, as well as ensures a fair distribution of resources between generations and across the life span.