News & Events

A joint NICOLA Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) and Healthy Ageing and Alzheimer’s Research UK (NI) Research Advisory Group Panel meeting took place in the Canada Room, QUB.

The workshop provided updates on NICOLA research activity, including Wave 3 and the 65+ Memory and Thinking Study, and created space for participants to share feedback on future research priorities and engagement.

Dr Nicola Ann Ward presented findings from the NICOLA 65+ Memory and Thinking Research Study at the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) conference in Boston.

The presentation took place at the Hynes Convention Center and highlighted key findings from the NICOLA 65+ Memory and Thinking Research Study.

[Learn more about the study]

Dr Claire Potter was featured in the Irish Times Research Lives column, where she discusses her research on stress, ageing and memory, drawing on data from NICOLA and TILDA.

The article explores how stress affects biological ageing and memory, and highlights the role of large longitudinal studies, including NICOLA, in understanding these processes. Claire also discusses her research interests, career development and ICAT fellowship. View the full article.

Dr Nicola Ann Ward presented NICOLA research at the Northern Ireland Frailty Network Annual Conference 2025, held as part of Positive Ageing Month.

Dr Ward’s presentation, “Measuring Frailty in the Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing (NICOLA): Impact and Opportunities”, highlighted how NICOLA data can inform understanding of frailty and healthy ageing.

Further evidence on frailty from NICOLA and TILDA is available in a recent publication in the European Journal of Public Health. View the published research.

A landmark NICOLA study has been featured on Queen’s University Belfast’s news website, highlighting new evidence on the impact of air pollution on lung cancer risk in Northern Ireland.

The nationally representative study, led by researchers at Queen’s University Belfast and using NICOLA data, estimates that more than 130 lung cancer cases each year in Northern Ireland are attributable to exposure to fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5). The findings underline air pollution as a significant and preventable public health risk, even in regions with relatively low pollution levels.

Read the QUB News article here.

Read the journal article here.

NICOLA research was showcased at the event Policy Engagement for Healthy Ageing – How Can NICOLA Contribute?, highlighting how NICOLA data can inform evidence-informed policy.

The event featured contributions from NICOLA Principal Investigator Professor Bernadette McGuinness, alongside researchers from sister studies including TILDA, ELSA and SHARE, exploring the policy impact of longitudinal ageing research.