Funded PhD opportunity at Queen Margaret University EDINBURGH SCOTLAND Wearable sensors for supporting elderly and frail individuals to live independently [BUR 24-16]

[Pelagia Koufaki]

Frailty is a prevalent syndrome in people aged over 65 years and is characterised by altered biological mechanisms that lead to vulnerability, loss of physiological reserve, and a range of poor patient relevant outcomes such as falls, physical disability, social and mental dysfunction and increased morbidity. Prominent risk factors associated with frailty in the elderly and in people with multiple comorbidities, include muscle weakness, gait and balance deficits, physical inactivity, polypharmacy, poor nutritional status. Therefore, the desire to live independently with advancing age, combined with multiple coexisting conditions and associated risks, may conflict with safety and ability to maintain other instrumental and leisure daily activities (ADLs). There is an ever growing need for sustainable and cost effective solutions and systems to support the world’s aging population in maintaining independent living and prevent the occurrence of common injuries associated with disability and frailty such as falls, bone fractures and hospital admissions (1). This project will aim to examine the dynamic interplay between physical movement during ADLs in the living environment and outcomes such as falls and related injuries as well as other health and well-being outcomes as agreed by the collaborating parties. We will implement new methods to record and monitor quantity and quality of human movement, incorporating data analysis, with state-of-art wearable devices, to offer novel insights into ADLs of elderly and frail individuals and the relationship to health and wellbeing outcomes.

Applicants should have a Master’s degree or a first degree (at least 2.1) ideally in computing/software engineering, or health and exercise/ physiotherapy related disciplines with a good understanding of wearable sensors and quantitative and qualitative data analysis and experience with working with human participants in research or practice settings. Successful applicants MUST be able to start in Jan 2025


Contact for enquiries: Dr Pelly Koufaki pkoufaki@qmu.ac.uk

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