Closing Address by Associate Professor Lim Wee Shiong, Lead Scientist, GERI, at the GERI 10th Anniversary Research Symposium

Distinguished speakers and guests, friends and colleagues,

Ladies and gentlemen,

1.      It is my pleasure to close GERI’s 10^th Anniversary Research Symposium.

2.      A heartfelt thank you to all our presenters and panellists for sharing your invaluable expertise and perspectives. To GERI’s international experts, Professor John Lavis from the McMaster Health Forum and Professor Sharon Straus from Unity Health Toronto, we are grateful that you have taken the time to be with us in Singapore. I would also like to extend my appreciation to all participants for joining us, and to the organising committee for putting together this platform for rich dialogue and learning.

3.      Before we go, I would like to share my reflections on the meta-narratives that have emerged today, and where we can go from here.

4.      Population ageing has been described as the biggest social transformation of this generation. The breadth of topics covered  today reflects the complexity and heterogeneity that underpins ageing. More than just a physiological process, it is a complex bio-psycho-social phenomenon that is shaped by macro-meso level policies and micro-level individual decisions.

5.      In light of this, it is heartening that the over-arching meta-narrative returns to the older person as the raison d’etre and heart of what we hope to achieve through translational ageing research. Importantly, we need a broader, integrated, and holistic approach if we want to make an impact where it matters for the older person.

6.      As we have heard from the various speakers today, our work must have 4 defining characteristics. I would like to use the acronym I²R².

7.     Interdisciplinary in its approach, recognising that ageing challenges do not exist in siloes, but rather at the intersection of biological, psychological and social domains.

8.     Impactful, not losing sight of the over-arching purpose to conduct research that can inform decisions around how systems, processes and policies can be refined and improved.

9.      Rigorous, adhering to standards of excellence, yet adaptive in methodology. This entails a readiness to harness new methodologies, new mindsets, and cutting-edge developments to address pressing public health challenges and policy questions.

10.      Relevant, informed by a practical sensibility to bridge policy-relevant evidence gaps and provide solutions that are system-implementable, cost-effective and sustainable.

11.      To be effective, we will need tools and skillsets to help us. Listening to the presentations, we have heard many hard facts being shared, but I was struck by the preponderance of one tool in particular: the need for engagement and collaboration, and how this is essential to our work.

12.      Healthy ageing and population health projects necessitate broad interdisciplinary collaboration among domain experts, researchers, implementers and policy makers. There are no shortcuts around this.

13.      The intersectionality of these collaborations – spanning different settings– reminds us that effective ageing research is a team game, requiring us to think and work across boundaries.

14.      And therein lies the importance of “adaptive expertise”: requiring us to step outside of our comfort zones and routines and navigate the unique demands that come with doing high-impact work in translational ageing research.

15.      So where do we go from here? For one, our field is rapidly evolving beyond traditional research paradigms to present opportunities for us to navigate.

16.      Today’s Symposium is a good starting point. We have heard about new developments and horizons in evidence reviews, implementation science and cross-disciplinary collaborations. Also, the advent of artificial intelligence and new technologies, and how these offer powerful capabilities that complement and augment – rather than replace – the crucial role of researchers in understanding the complexities of ageing.

17.      Taken together, good news: this is a very exciting time to be working in the translational research space. Personally, I have been re-energised by the conversations and connections forged today, and I hope you have been too. It is not often that we get to see so many like-minded friends and colleagues gathered together. So, do take advantage of this convergence to further your exchanges at the networking session right after this.

18.      On a parting and more symbolic note, this Research Symposium also serves to mark a decade since GERI’s inception. It is fitting that the meta-narratives that have emerged today – collaboration across siloes, integrative and interdisciplinary approaches, as well as closing the research-to-practice gap – have been consistent threads throughout GERI’s work these past 10 years.

19.     As a lead scientist and member of the Research Management Committee at GERI, I am continually impressed and encouraged by the drive of our researchers, as they press on with their challenging yet admirable mission to create positive real-world impact. It is my hope that together, we can carry this momentum forward, in support of the health and well-being of our older population, for even more years to come.

20.     With that, thank you once again, and have a good evening ahead.