I am Changing Age - Director of Engagement at Newcastle University. I have a particular role in supporting public participation and engagement in research and strategies around ageing. I also have an interest in translating research findings for practical social and economic benefit, with a particular interest on the care and support for older people and people with dementia and their carers. My background is in research - in 2009 I helped establish VOICE North, an organisation to involve the public in research on ageing which now has over 3000 members. My other research interests include patients' views on the outcomes of the care they receive, how we can measure outcomes and the impact of public involvement. I chair the North East Dementia Alliance, co-ordinate Years Ahead: the North East Forum on Ageing and am a member of the Strategic Oversight Board for Newcastle’s Biomedical Research Centre.