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
2016
Journal Article
Frailty and adverse outcomes: impact of multiple bed moves for older inpatients
Ranasinghe, Champa, Fleury, Aisling, Peel, Nancye M. and Hubbard, Ruth E. (2016). Frailty and adverse outcomes: impact of multiple bed moves for older inpatients. International Psychogeriatrics, 29 (2), 1-5. doi: 10.1017/S1041610216001605
2016
Conference Publication
The utility of the frailty index in clinical decision making
Khatry, K., Peel, N. M., Gray, L. C. and Hubbard, R. E. (2016). The utility of the frailty index in clinical decision making. The Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2016, “The AGEnder Paradox”, Cairns, Queensland, Australia, 1–3 June, 2016. Richmond, Australia: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia. doi: 10.1111/ajag.12337
2016
Conference Publication
Health assets improve outcomes for hospitalised older adults
Gregorevic, K., Peel, N. M., Lim, W. K. and Hubbard, R. E. (2016). Health assets improve outcomes for hospitalised older adults. The Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2016, “The AGEnder Paradox”, Cairns, Queensland, Australia, 1–3 June, 2016. Richmond, Australia: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia. doi: 10.1111/ajag.12339
2016
Conference Publication
Frailty Index (Fi) Predicts Chemotherapy Outcomes in Patients with Solid Tumors Aged >= 65 Years: Prospective, Longitudinal Study
McCarthy, Alexandra, Hubbard, Ruth, Peel, Nancye, Gillespie, Kerri, Berry, Robyn, Yates, Patsy and Walpole, Euan (2016). Frailty Index (Fi) Predicts Chemotherapy Outcomes in Patients with Solid Tumors Aged >= 65 Years: Prospective, Longitudinal Study. COSA's 43rd and ANZBCTG's 38th Annual Scientific Meetings, Gold Coast Queensland, 15–17 November 2016. Hoboken, NJ United States: Wiley.
2016
Conference Publication
Frailty index in chronic kidney disease (FI-CKD) study
Chowdhury, R., Peel, N. M., Saweirs, W., Johnson, D., Krosch, M., Senff, S., Basev, A. and Hubbard, R. E. (2016). Frailty index in chronic kidney disease (FI-CKD) study. The Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine Annual Scientific Meeting 2016, “The AGEnder Paradox”, Cairns, Queensland, Australia, 1–3 June, 2016. Richmond, Australia: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Asia. doi: 10.1111/ajag.12339
2015
Journal Article
Age-related changes in hepatic function: an update on implications for drug therapy
Tan, Joseph L., Eastment, Jacques G., Poudel, Arjun and Hubbard, Ruth E. (2015). Age-related changes in hepatic function: an update on implications for drug therapy. Drugs and Aging, 32 (12), 999-1008. doi: 10.1007/s40266-015-0318-1
2015
Journal Article
Feasibility and construct validity of a Frailty index for patients with chronic kidney disease
Hubbard, Ruth E., Peel, Nancye M., Smith, Morgan, Dawson, Blake, Lambat, Zahed, Bak, Melissa, Best, Jennifer and Johnson, David W. (2015). Feasibility and construct validity of a Frailty index for patients with chronic kidney disease. Australasian Journal On Ageing, 34 (3), E9-E12. doi: 10.1111/ajag.12231
2015
Journal Article
Geriatrician interventions on medication prescribing for frail older people in residential aged care facilities
Poudel, Arjun, Peel, Nancye M., Mitchell, Charles A., Gray, Leonard C., Nissen, Lisa M. and Hubbard, Ruth E. (2015). Geriatrician interventions on medication prescribing for frail older people in residential aged care facilities. Clinical Interventions in Aging, 10 (5), 1043-1051. doi: 10.2147/CIA.S84402
2015
Journal Article
‘Thinking you're old and frail’: a qualitative study of frailty in older adults
Warmoth, Krystal, Lang, Iain A., Phoenix, Cassandra, Abraham, Charles, Andrew, Melissa K., Hubbard, Ruth E. and Tarrant, Mark (2015). ‘Thinking you're old and frail’: a qualitative study of frailty in older adults. Ageing and Society, 36 (7), 1483-1500. doi: 10.1017/S0144686X1500046X
2015
Journal Article
Avoiding Depression, Dementia, and Frailty: Do You Feel Lucky?
Hubbard, Ruth E. and Lang, Iain (2015). Avoiding Depression, Dementia, and Frailty: Do You Feel Lucky?. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, 16 (4), 270-271. doi: 10.1016/j.jamda.2015.01.085
2015
Journal Article
Outcomes of cognitively impaired older people in transition care
Peel, Nancye May, Chan, Kah Wai and Hubbard, Ruth Eleanor (2015). Outcomes of cognitively impaired older people in transition care. Australasian Journal on Ageing, 34 (1), 53-57. doi: 10.1111/ajag.12168
2015
Journal Article
The validation of a care partner-derived frailty index based upon comprehensive geriatric assessment (CP-FI-CGA) in emergency medical services and geriatric ambulatory care
Goldstein, Judah, Hubbard, Ruth E., Moorhouse, Paige, Andrew, Melissa K., Mitnitski, Arnold and Rockwood, Kenneth (2015). The validation of a care partner-derived frailty index based upon comprehensive geriatric assessment (CP-FI-CGA) in emergency medical services and geriatric ambulatory care. Age and Ageing, 44 (2) afu161, 327-330. doi: 10.1093/ageing/afu161
2015
Journal Article
Does Frailty Lie in the Eyes of the Beholder?
Hubbard, R. E. and Story, D. A. (2015). Does Frailty Lie in the Eyes of the Beholder?. Heart Lung and Circulation, 24 (6), 525-526. doi: 10.1016/j.hlc.2015.01.018
2015
Book Chapter
Sex differences in frailty
Hubbard, R.E. (2015). Sex differences in frailty. Frailty in Aging: Biological, Clinical and Social Implications. (pp. 42-53) Basel, Switzerland: S. Karger AG. doi: 10.1159/000381161
2015
Journal Article
Polypharmacy among inpatients aged 70 years or older in Australia
Hubbard, Ruth E., Peel, Nancye M., Scott, Ian A., Martin, Jennifer H., Smith, Alesha, Pillans, Peter I., Poudel, Arjun and Gray, Leonard C. (2015). Polypharmacy among inpatients aged 70 years or older in Australia. Medical Journal of Australia, 202 (7), 373-378. doi: 10.5694/mja13.00172
2015
Journal Article
Derivation of a frailty index from the interRAI acute care instrument
Hubbard, Ruth E., Peel, Nancy M., Samanta, Mayukh, Gray, Leonard C., Fries, Brant E., Mitnitski, Arnold and Rockwood, Kenneth (2015). Derivation of a frailty index from the interRAI acute care instrument. BMC Geriatrics, 15 (1) 27, 27. doi: 10.1186/s12877-015-0026-z
2014
Journal Article
Potentially inappropriate prescribing in older patients discharged from acute care hospitals to residential aged care facilities
Poudel, Arjun, Peel, Nancye M., Nissen, Lisa, Mitchell, Charles, Gray, Len C. and Hubbard, Ruth E. (2014). Potentially inappropriate prescribing in older patients discharged from acute care hospitals to residential aged care facilities. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 48 (11), 1425-1433. doi: 10.1177/1060028014548568
2014
Journal Article
A systematic review of prescribing criteria to evaluate appropriateness of medications in frail older people
Poudel, A., Peel, N. M., Mitchell, C., Nissen, L. M. and Hubbard, R. E. (2014). A systematic review of prescribing criteria to evaluate appropriateness of medications in frail older people. Reviews in Clinical Gerontology, 24 (4), 304-318. doi: 10.1017/S0959259814000161
2014
Journal Article
Gait speed as a predictor of outcomes in post-acute transitional care for older people
Peel, Nancye M., Navanathan, Sukumar and Hubbard, Ruth E. (2014). Gait speed as a predictor of outcomes in post-acute transitional care for older people. Geriatrics and Gerontology International, 14 (4), 906-910. doi: 10.1111/ggi.12191
2014
Journal Article
Prescribing for older people discharged from the acute sector to residential aged-care facilities
Hopcroft, P., Peel, N. M., Poudel, A., Scott, I. A., Gray, L. C. and Hubbard, R. E. (2014). Prescribing for older people discharged from the acute sector to residential aged-care facilities. Internal Medicine Journal, 44 (10), 1034-1037. doi: 10.1111/imj.12553
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
Engaging consumers in frailty and ageing research
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Adrienne Young, Dr Natasha Reid
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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
Organ transplantation and frailty
Principal Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emily Gordon, Professor Mark Morrison
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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
CHAMP: a co-creation of a comprehensive health assessment and management plan for younger people with schizophrenia spectrum disorders
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Emily Gordon, Dr Kristiana Ludlow
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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
Sleepless in the GARU?
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Adrienne Young, Associate Professor Claire Ellender
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Doctor Philosophy
Transitions from mild cognitive impairment to dementia: sex and gender differences in risk factors and health information needs
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Natasha Reid, Dr David Ward, Associate Professor Emily Gordon
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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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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
The development, validation and implementation of an electronic frailty index (eFI)
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr David Ward
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Doctor Philosophy
Improving emergency care for older people
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Frederick Graham
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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
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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