Meet our GERI Researchers | Dr Charlene Lau

Dr Charlene Lau is a Research Fellow at GERI. Her research focus is on physical activity and exercises for older adults. She is interested in examining ways to encourage uptake of physical activity among older adults and the implementation of community-based physical activity programmes. She holds a PhD in Physiotherapy. 

In this series featuring GERI's researchers, we chat with Dr Lau on her research beginnings as a polytechnic lecturer, working in a multi-disciplinary and collaborative environment, and why we should pay attention to frailty.

How did you first get into research? 

Research is an important element in education and it is crucial that educators keep abreast with the latest developments and knowledge in their respective fields of teaching. Thus, I first started my research journey as a polytechnic lecturer. My involvement in research activities then encompassed the supervision of Final Year Projects of diploma students, the Science Mentorship Programme for secondary school students, as well as serving as the Principal Investigator of externally funded and commissioned projects. Those early experiences served as stepping stones for my eventual foray into ageing research.

What sparked your interest in studying ageing?

I was previously working on a study examining factors associated with the heart rate variability of occupational drivers. The majority of the studied population were older adults. Consequently, I felt a growing interest to be involved in studying active ageing, with the meaningful aim of improving the quality of life of older adults.

What are you currently working on? 

I am currently working on a hybrid study, examining the effectiveness and implementation of the 4M (Mobility, Mood and Mentation, Medication and What Matters) framework for hospitalised patients, in collaboration with a public hospital in Singapore. Working collaboratively with a Singapore-based research institute and a GERI team, we are studying the effects of intrinsic capacity on social participation and the factors associated with this relationship, with reference to World Health Organisation (WHO) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework. Additionally, together with a government agency and a GERI team, we are evaluating the implementation of an active ageing programme in the community.

When it comes to healthy ageing, the spotlight is often on combating chronic diseases, while the prevalence of frailty – a state of increased vulnerability to stressor events – often flies under the radar. Given your research on physical function such as gait in older adults, why do you think it is important for us to pay attention to frailty and how can we better address its impacts?

Frailty is frequently associated with ageing, but it is not – and does not have to be – a given as one gets older. We should thus aim to delay the onset of frailty by taking preventive measures. The definition of frailty has also been extended beyond physical frailty; for example, there is growing attention being paid to frailty in the cognitive and social spheres too. Hence, a multi-prong approach should be taken to manage or prevent the occurrence of frailty starting from a younger age, with physical activity as one of the important elements.

Why do you think your work at GERI is important and what kind of impact do you ultimately hope to create? 

Overall, research at GERI is informed by GERI’s Knowledge Translation framework, which emphasises implementation, dissemination and exchange as important elements of research development. This way, insights garnered from our research reaches people who can benefit from it. Specific to my current research, I think it is crucial to examine the implementation of an effective programme for older adults (based on a smaller scale study) in order to facilitate the scalability and sustainability of the programme, so that a larger population of our seniors can benefit from it. I hope that my work in this area will go towards achieving this ultimate goal of helping seniors age well.  

What do you like about working at GERI? 

I am grateful to be given opportunities to work with a multi-disciplinary research team, from geriatricians, sociologists, psychologists, sport scientists to allied health practitioners, for intellectual exchange. Additionally, the opportunity to work collaboratively with various stakeholders, such as government agencies and active ageing centres,  allows me to have a better understanding of implementation and operational challenges on the ground. Another positive is the interactions I have with older adults in the course of my field work, which enables me to gain different perspectives about ageing. Hence, these meaningful experiences have helped me explore various research opportunities.