The ELDERS Research Team conducts research on cognitive impairment in older adults, with a particular focus on early identification, risk stratification, intervention optimisation, and real-world translation. Our work examines the dynamic interplay between social networks, health behaviours, and individual cognitive and physiological processes across the trajectory of cognitive decline. By integrating these perspectives, we aim to develop evidence-based approaches that support screening, management, intervention delivery, and decision-making in both community and healthcare settings. A central mission of the team is to translate rigorous research into practical, scalable solutions that can be implemented in real-world systems.
Our research spans three closely integrated areas. First, early identification and digital marker development, with an emphasis on identifying risk for cognitive impairment in older adults through behavioural and digital signal extraction, predictive stratification, and the development of scalable early screening tools. This work supports the identification of high-risk populations, cohort management, and pre-clinical or community-based screening. Second, patient–family collaborative intervention models, addressing real-world challenges such as suboptimal adherence, difficulties in long-term management, and variable intervention effectiveness in community settings. We design and evaluate intervention strategies that actively engage patients, families, and community resources to improve participation and sustain long-term outcomes. Third, strategy modelling and value-based evaluation, in which we leverage real-world data to conduct modelling, simulation, implementation science research, and health economic analyses, providing quantitative evidence to inform clinical practice optimisation, resource allocation efficiency, and health policy decision-making.
The team is interdisciplinary, bringing together expertise from public health, clinical medicine, biostatistics, computer science, and nursing, and is well positioned to conduct both methodological and applied research on complex real-world problems. Core collaborators include faculty and researchers from Sun Yat-sen University, Jinan University, and University College London. We also maintain long-term collaborations with Centres for Disease Control, mental health centres, healthcare providers, and health administration agencies. These partnerships enable close alignment of research with population-level needs and support the implementation of large-scale studies and real-world projects at the intersection of clinical care and public health practice.
We welcome collaboration with hospitals, academic institutions, public health agencies, industry partners, and other stakeholders interested in cognitive health and ageing. Priority areas for collaboration include early screening and risk stratification of cognitive impairment; optimisation of patient- and caregiver-involved intervention strategies; evaluation of real-world effectiveness and the value and efficiency of resource use; digital health programmes integrated across community and healthcare settings; and methodological support grounded in implementation science and health economic evaluation. Building on our existing research platforms, the team can provide integrated support across study design, data analysis, and implementation evaluation to facilitate the translation of research findings into real-world practice. Collaborations may begin with pilot studies and based on shared objectives and emerging evidence, expand into multi-centre studies, regional programmes, or longer-term strategic partnerships.
For further information or collaboration inquiries, please contact ruinisunn@163.com. Additional information about the team is available at: https://elderslab.github.io