
Overview
Background
Ruth E. Hubbard is a Consultant Geriatrician at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and in October 2020 was appointed as the Masonic Chair of Geriatric Medicine at the University of Queensland.
She qualified from St Mary’s Hospital Medical School in London and trained in general internal medicine and geriatric medicine in Cardiff, Wales. As a clinical academic, she has always combined hospital practice with research and teaching. She has completed an MSc in Medical Education, an MD on pathophysiological changes in frail older people and a post-doctoral fellowship in Dalhousie University, Nova Scotia with Professor Ken Rockwood. Here, she was able to test hypotheses regarding the determinants and manifestations of frailty through the interrogation of large datasets. She has published widely on the inflammatory aetiology of frailty, the difficulties of measuring frailty in clinical practice and the relationships between frailty and obesity, smoking, socioeconomic status and exercise. Based on the impact of her publications, she is currently ranked number 4 in a list of frailty experts worldwide (http://expertscape.com/ex/frail+elderly).
In the last 5 years, she has generated $24.5M in grant income including as CIA on the following: MRFF Dementia Ageing and Aged Care Mission ($5M), a Centre for Research Excellence in Frailty ($2.5M), an Ideas Grant ($1.6M) and the NHMRC Targeted Call for Frailty Research ($1.5M). As Founder and Director of the Australia Frailty Network (AFN), she has established a team of consumer partners, multidisciplinary clinical academics, behavioural psychologists and statisticians answering critical questions relating to the measurement and management of frailty.
Availability
- Professor Ruth Hubbard is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Medicine Surgery, Imperial College
- Masters (Coursework) of Science, Cardiff University
- Doctoral Diploma of Medicine, Cardiff University
- Bachelor of Science, Imperial College
Research interests
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The Australian Frailty Network
The Australian Frailty Network (AFN) was established in 2023 to address frailty across the Australian population. This pioneering initiative integrates research, education, policy advocacy, and practice into a cohesive strategy to improve health outcomes for people living with frailty. This research is funded by an MRFF Dementia Ageing and Aged Care Grant ($5M) Funding period: 2022 - 2027 Role: Lead, Chief Investigator A
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FITTEST Trial
The AFN’s flagship clinical trial FITTEST will test if a multi-domain approach to the care of mildly frail older adults will be better than a self-directed program in attenuating the progress of frailty. The trial aims to recruit 390 participants from geriatric medicine clinics across Australia. Ethics approval was obtained in early November, with the first participant expected to be randomised in July 2024.
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Derivation, Validation and Implementation of a Digital Frailty Index for Acute Care Settings in Queensland
Older people in hospital are at high risk of adverse outcomes, a vulnerability commonly referred to as frailty. In community-dwelling older people, frailty status can be measured precisely with a Frailty Index score. We are currently leading a research programme to develop a Frailty Index from hospital electronic medical records. This would assist clinicians to identify vulnerable older inpatients, improving their care in the acute setting. This research is funded by an NHMRC Partnership Grant ($1.5M) with Queensland Health Funding period: 2024 - 2029 Role: Lead, Chief Investigator A
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The ReFIT Study: Reversing Frailty through Transplantation
This program will provide new insights into the causes of frailty by comparing biological data in older people who are frail, with younger people before and after a kidney transplant. The study is a collaboration between several clinical units at the Princess Alexandra Hospital (PAH) and aims to recruit 100 transplant candidates from the PAH Kidney Transplant Service, and 50 older participants from PAH outpatient clinics. This research is funded by an NHMRC Ideas Grant ($1.6M) Funding period: 2023 - 2026 Role: Lead, Chief Investigator A
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Frailty ADD: Improving Hospital Outcomes for Frail Patients Across Different Disciplines
This Centre of Research Excellence unites four nodes (in Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Perth) where Australia's strongest academic geriatricians have partnered with discipline experts to build clinical and research programs. lt will investigate the relationship between frailty, medication utilisation and global health outcomes and develop a core outcome set of patient-important outcomes that can be used for all frailty research in any discipline. This new knowledge will be transferred to policy and practice by championing practice change initiatives, piloting implementation studies across different disciplines that will be nested in our Frailty Research and Translation Framework and providing frailty education and training for health care professionals. The CRE will establish a cutting-edge capacity building scaffold to train the next generation of health and medical researchers with the potential to become leaders in their fields. This research is funded by an NHMRC Centre of Research Excellence ($2.5M) with additional strategic funding from UQ ($500k) Funding period: 2022 - 2027 Role: Lead, Chief Investigator A
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The GOAL Trial
This cluster randomised controlled trial will test whether Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment by a geriatrician can help frail older patients with CKD improve their health and wellbeing and achieve their own goals. Uniting geriatricians and nephrologists in a cross-disciplinary collaboration for the first time at 15 hospital sites across Australia, the last participant was recruited mid-2023. Follow up is for 12 months and results will be reported in 2025. This research is funded by an NHMRC Targeted Call for Research ($1.6M) Funding period: 2020 - 2025 Role: Lead, Chief Investigator A
Works
Search Professor Ruth Hubbard’s works on UQ eSpace
2025
Journal Article
Describing the outcomes of frail patients undergoing treatment with systemic therapies for acute myeloid leukaemia: a systematic review
Sia, Aaron, Chopra, Sakshi, Ling, Victoria Y., Fletcher, James, Hubbard, Ruth Eleanor, Mollee, Peter, Gordon, Emily, Reid, Natasha and Hanjani, Leila Shafiee (2025). Describing the outcomes of frail patients undergoing treatment with systemic therapies for acute myeloid leukaemia: a systematic review. Journal of Geriatric Oncology, 16 (3) 102196, 102196. doi: 10.1016/j.jgo.2025.102196
2025
Journal Article
Comprehensive geriatric assessment for frail older people with chronic kidney disease to increase attainment of patient-identified goals: Statistical analysis plan for a cluster-randomised controlled trial
Mihala, Gabor, Hubbard, Ruth Eleanor, Logan, Benignus, Johnson, David Wayne, Viecelli, Andrea Katharina and Forbes, Andrew Benjamin (2025). Comprehensive geriatric assessment for frail older people with chronic kidney disease to increase attainment of patient-identified goals: Statistical analysis plan for a cluster-randomised controlled trial. Contemporary Clinical Trials, 152 107881, 1-4. doi: 10.1016/j.cct.2025.107881
2025
Journal Article
Goals of frail older people living with chronic kidney disease: a mixed methods study
Logan, Benignus, Ludlow, Kristiana, Pascoe, Elaine M., Viecelli, Andrea K., Johnson, David W., Hawley, Carmel M., Hickey, Laura E., Kiriwandeniya, Charani, Matsuyama, Misa, Jaure, Allison and Hubbard, Ruth E. (2025). Goals of frail older people living with chronic kidney disease: a mixed methods study. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. doi: 10.1111/jgs.19421
2025
Journal Article
An Expert Opinion on the Management of Frailty in Heart Failure from the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance National Taskforce
McDonagh, Julee, Ferguson, Caleb, Hilmer, Sarah N., Hubbard, Ruth E., Lindley, Richard I., Driscoll, Andrea, Maiorana, Andrew, Wu, Lindsay, Atherton, John J., Bajorek, Beata V., Carr, Bridie, Delbaere, Kim, Dent, Elsa, Duong, Mai H., Hickman, Louise D., Hopper, Ingrid, Huynh, Quan, Jha, Sunita R., Keech, Anthony, Sim, Marc, Singh, Gursharan K., Villani, Anthony, Shang, Catherine, Hsu, Meng, Vandenberg, Jamie, Davidson, Patricia M. and Macdonald, Peter S. (2025). An Expert Opinion on the Management of Frailty in Heart Failure from the Australian Cardiovascular Alliance National Taskforce. Heart, Lung and Circulation. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2025.01.012
2025
Journal Article
How social frailty is operationalized matters: Relationships with health and wellbeing in late adulthood
Coundouris, Sarah P., Grainger, Sarah A., Schweitzer, Daniel, Hubbard, Ruth E., Laakso, E.-Liisa and Henry, Julie D. (2025). How social frailty is operationalized matters: Relationships with health and wellbeing in late adulthood. International Psychogeriatrics 100032, 100032. doi: 10.1016/j.inpsyc.2024.100032
2025
Book Chapter
Frailty and Comorbidities: Frailty in Women
Navarro-Pardo, Esperanza, Villacampa-Fernández, Patricia, Hubbard, Ruth E., Gordon, Emily and Cano, Antonio (2025). Frailty and Comorbidities: Frailty in Women. Menopause. (pp. 351-363) Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland. doi: 10.1007/978-3-031-83979-5_19
2025
Journal Article
Baseline Characteristics of Frailty and Disease Stage in Older People Living With CKD
Logan, Benignus, Pascoe, Elaine M., Viecelli, Andrea K., Johnson, David W., Comans, Tracy, Hawley, Carmel M., Hickey, Laura E., Janda, Monika, Jaure, Allison, Kalaw, Emarene, Kiriwandeniya, Charani, Matsuyama, Misa, Mihala, Gabor, Nguyen, Kim-Huong, Pole, Jason D., Polkinghorne, Kevan R., Pond, Constance, Raj, Rajesh, Reidlinger, Donna M., Scholes-Robertson, Nicole, Valks, Andrea, Wong, Germaine, Hubbard, Ruth E. and on behalf of The GOAL Trial Investigators (2025). Baseline Characteristics of Frailty and Disease Stage in Older People Living With CKD. Kidney International Reports, 10 (1), 120-133. doi: 10.1016/j.ekir.2024.10.009
2025
Journal Article
Frailty Trajectories Preceding Dementia in the US and UK
Ward, David D., Flint, Jonny P., Littlejohns, Thomas J., Foote, Isabelle F., Canevelli, Marco, Wallace, Lindsay M. K., Gordon, Emily H., Llewellyn, David J., Ranson, Janice M., Hubbard, Ruth E., Rockwood, Kenneth and Stolz, Erwin (2025). Frailty Trajectories Preceding Dementia in the US and UK. JAMA Neurology, 82 (1), 61-71. doi: 10.1001/jamaneurol.2024.3774
2024
Journal Article
How do geriatricians practise comprehensive geriatric assessment in the outpatient setting: an analysis of geriatricians’ letters and a comparison to the Medicare benefits schedule requirement
Fox, Sarah T., Demichelis, Olivia, Pond, Constance Dimity, Janda, Monika and Hubbard, Ruth E. (2024). How do geriatricians practise comprehensive geriatric assessment in the outpatient setting: an analysis of geriatricians’ letters and a comparison to the Medicare benefits schedule requirement. Internal Medicine Journal, 54 (12), 1990-2008. doi: 10.1111/imj.16535
2024
Journal Article
The Australian Frailty Network: Development of a consumer‐focussed national response to frailty
Reid, Natasha, Young, Adrienne, Baldassar, Loretta, Christoffersen, Anja, Comans, Tracy, Conroy, Simon, Etherton‐Beer, Christopher, Ferris, Jason, Singh, Maria Fiatarone, Fox, Sarah, Gordon, Emily H., Ghosh, Manonita, Guha, Chandana, Hilmer, Sarah, Kouladjian O’Donnell, Lisa, Logan, Benignus, Ludlow, Kristiana, Miller, Michelle, Morgan, Mark, Mudge, Alison, Muscedere, John, Reidlinger, Donna, Rockwood, Kenneth, Saunders, Rosemary, Ward, David, Yates, Paul and Hubbard, Ruth E. (2024). The Australian Frailty Network: Development of a consumer‐focussed national response to frailty. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 43 (4), 852-860. doi: 10.1111/ajag.13365
2024
Conference Publication
Comparing the outcomes of frail acute myeloid leukaemia patients undergoing systemic therapy to their fitter counterparts
Sia, Aaron, Chopra, Sakshi, Ling, Victoria, Hubbard, Ruth Eleanor, Mollee, Peter, Gordon, Emily and Hanjani, Leila Shafiee (2024). Comparing the outcomes of frail acute myeloid leukaemia patients undergoing systemic therapy to their fitter counterparts. COSA's 51st Annual Scientific Meeting, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 13–15 November 2024. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1111/ajco.14117
2024
Journal Article
Frailty index, not age, predicts treatment outcomes and adverse events for older adults with cancer
Fletcher, J., Reid, N., Hubbard, R.E., Berry, R., Weston, M., Walpole, E., Kimberley, R., Thaker, D.A. and Ladwa, R. (2024). Frailty index, not age, predicts treatment outcomes and adverse events for older adults with cancer. Journal of Frailty and Aging, 13 (4), 487-494. doi: 10.14283/jfa.2024.22
2024
Conference Publication
Development of a self-reported frailty index - The SELFI
Sia, Aaron Din How, Mollee, Peter, Berry, Robyn, Ladwa, Rahul, Ling, Victoria, Fletcher, James, Gordon, Emily, Walpole, Euan, Hanjani, Leila Shafiee, Reid, Natasha, Simonsen, Camilla and Hubbard, Ruth Eleanor (2024). Development of a self-reported frailty index - The SELFI. COSA's 51st Annual Scientific Meeting, Gold Coast, QLD, Australia, 13-15 November 2024. Chichester, West Sussex, United Kingdom: Wiley-Blackwell. doi: 10.1111/ajco.14117
2024
Conference Publication
FC44: Sex differences in population attributable fractions of modifiable dementia risk factors: evidence from Rush University Memory and Aging Project
Martin, Jissa, Ward, David D., Reid, Natasha, Hubbard, Ruth E. and Gordon, Emily H. (2024). FC44: Sex differences in population attributable fractions of modifiable dementia risk factors: evidence from Rush University Memory and Aging Project. 2024 IPA International Congress: Crossing Oceans and Connecting People to Improve Mental Health for Adults, Buenos Aires, Argentina, 25 - 27 September 2024. Cambridge, United Kingdom: Cambridge University Press. doi: 10.1017/s1041610224001662
2024
Journal Article
Protocol for the process evaluation of the GOAL trial: investigating how comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) improves patient-centred goal attainment in older adults with chronic kidney disease in the outpatient setting
Fox, Sarah Therese, Hubbard, Ruth, Valks, Andrea, Matsuyama, Misa, Kalaw, Emarene, Viecelli, Andrea, Aquino, Eunise Martha, Johnson, David and Janda, Monika (2024). Protocol for the process evaluation of the GOAL trial: investigating how comprehensive geriatric assessment (CGA) improves patient-centred goal attainment in older adults with chronic kidney disease in the outpatient setting. BMJ Open, 14 (8) e076328, 1-10. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-076328
2024
Conference Publication
Hope Frailty Intervention: Utility Of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment In Younger Outpatients With Severe Mental Illness
Siskind, D., Arnautovska, U., Soole, R., Kwan, W., Reid, N., Baker, A., Gordon, E., Hubbard, R. and Warren, N. (2024). Hope Frailty Intervention: Utility Of Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment In Younger Outpatients With Severe Mental Illness. RANZCP 2024 Congress, Canberra, ACT Australia, 19–23 May 2024. London, United Kingdom: SAGE Publications.
2024
Journal Article
Multicomponent perioperative interventions to improve outcomes for frail patients: a systematic review
Kwok, Vivian Ka-Yan, Reid, Natasha, Hubbard, Ruth E., Thavarajah, Harshithaa and Gordon, Emily H. (2024). Multicomponent perioperative interventions to improve outcomes for frail patients: a systematic review. BMC Geriatrics, 24 (1) 376. doi: 10.1186/s12877-024-04985-4
2024
Journal Article
The impact of a hospital-based special care unit on behavioural and psychological symptoms in older people living with dementia
Graham, Frederick A., Kelly, Lisa, Burmeister, Elizabeth A, Henderson, Amanda, Broome, Annette, Hubbard, Ruth E. and Gordon, Emily H. (2024). The impact of a hospital-based special care unit on behavioural and psychological symptoms in older people living with dementia. Age and Ageing, 53 (4) afae081, 1-12. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afae081
2024
Journal Article
Delirium and incident dementia in hospital patients in New South Wales, Australia: retrospective cohort study
Gordon, Emily H., Ward, David D., Xiong, Hao, Berkovsky, Shlomo and Hubbard, Ruth E. (2024). Delirium and incident dementia in hospital patients in New South Wales, Australia: retrospective cohort study. BMJ, 384 e077634, 1-10. doi: 10.1136/bmj-2023-077634
2024
Journal Article
Training healthcare professionals to administer Goal Attainment Scaling as an outcome measure
Logan, Benignus, Viecelli, Andrea K., Pascoe, Elaine M., Pimm, Bonnie, Hickey, Laura E., Johnson, David W. and Hubbard, Ruth E. (2024). Training healthcare professionals to administer Goal Attainment Scaling as an outcome measure. Journal of Patient-Reported Outcomes, 8 (1) 22, 1-11. doi: 10.1186/s41687-024-00704-0
Funding
Current funding
Supervision
Availability
- Professor Ruth Hubbard is:
- Available for supervision
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Supervision history
Current supervision
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Doctor Philosophy
Addressing Frailty in Older Adults with Solid Organ Malignancies
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Natasha Reid
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Doctor Philosophy
Addressing frailty in older people with haematological malignancies
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Mollee, Associate Professor Emily Gordon, Dr Natasha Reid
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Doctor Philosophy
Frailty and goals of care in older people living with moderate to severe chronic kidney disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Andrea Viecelli
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Doctor Philosophy
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment: How does it work and what are the key active ingredients?
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Monika Janda
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Doctor Philosophy
Organ transplantation and frailty
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emily Gordon, Professor Mark Morrison
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Doctor Philosophy
Frailty and Goals of Care in Older People Living with Moderate to Severe Chronic Kidney Disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Andrea Viecelli
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Doctor Philosophy
Frailty and Goals of Care in Older People with Moderate to Severe Chronic Kidney Disease
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Andrea Viecelli
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Doctor Philosophy
Comprehensive Geriatric Assessment: How does it work and what are the key active ingredients?
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Monika Janda
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Doctor Philosophy
Improving emergency care for older people
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Frederick Graham
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Doctor Philosophy
CHAMP: a co-creation of a comprehensive health assessment and management plan for younger people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emily Gordon, Dr Kristiana Ludlow
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Doctor Philosophy
Improving emergency care for older people
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Frederick Graham
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Master Philosophy
Pharyngolaryngectomies: reconstructive options, short and long-term patient outcomes, and the impact of pre-operative frailty
Associate Advisor
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Doctor Philosophy
Core outcomes in frail inpatients.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emily Gordon, Dr Kristiana Ludlow
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Doctor Philosophy
Understanding sex differences in cognitive impairment and dementia to design targeted interventions
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Natasha Reid, Associate Professor Emily Gordon, Dr David Ward
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Doctor Philosophy
A life course approach to frailty: its biopsychosocial determinants and impact on dementia and other ageing-related outcomes
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emily Gordon, Dr David Ward
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Doctor Philosophy
Sleepless in the GARU?
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Adrienne Young, Associate Professor Claire Ellender
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Doctor Philosophy
The development, validation and implementation of an electronic frailty index (eFI)
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr David Ward
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Doctor Philosophy
Outcomes of importance to frail older vascular surgery patients and their caregivers.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Natasha Reid, Dr Kristiana Ludlow, Associate Professor Emily Gordon
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Doctor Philosophy
Analysis of Microcirculatory Health Measures and Frailty in Potential Renal Transplant Recipients: A Machine Learning Approach
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emily Gordon, Professor Mark Midwinter
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Doctor Philosophy
Organ transplantation as a model for reversible frailty (ReFIT): robustness and resilience.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Ross Francis, Professor Mark Midwinter, Associate Professor Emily Gordon
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Doctor Philosophy
Analysis of Microcirculatory Health Measures and Frailty in Potential Renal Transplant Recipients: A Machine Learning Approach
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emily Gordon, Professor Mark Midwinter
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Doctor Philosophy
Outcomes of importance to frail older vascular surgery patients and their caregivers.
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Natasha Reid, Dr Kristiana Ludlow, Associate Professor Emily Gordon
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Master Philosophy
Sleepless in the geriatric rehabilitation unit?
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Adrienne Young, Associate Professor Claire Ellender
Completed supervision
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2023
Doctor Philosophy
Increasing Adherence for Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) Usage in Vulnerable Australian Populations with Sleep Apnoea.
Principal Advisor
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2020
Doctor Philosophy
Sex differences in frailty: The Frailty Index and the male-female health-survival paradox.
Principal Advisor
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2019
Master Philosophy
Gait speed and frailty status in relation to adverse outcomes in geriatric rehabilitation
Principal Advisor
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2018
Master Philosophy
Frailty Index and Peri-operative Outcome
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Len Gray
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2025
Doctor Philosophy
Analysis of Microcirculatory Health Measures and Frailty in Potential Renal Transplant Recipients: A Machine Learning Approach
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emily Gordon, Professor Mark Midwinter
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2015
Doctor Philosophy
Optimising prescribing in frail older people
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Lisa Nissen
Media
Enquiries
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