Congratulations to CARES Principal Investigators Professor Ngaire Kerse and Dr Andrew McDaid on being successful with HRC funding.

Professor Ngaire Kerse will lead a team across FMHS and Engineering on a project which will establish useability and acceptability of the robot and tablet delivery format by people with mild dementia. This feasibility study will lead to a full randomised controlled trial (RCT) to compare the effectiveness of a) robot, b) computer tablet and c) written information (control) delivery of: cognitive stimulation therapy, exercises, medication reminding and daily scheduling; in improving quality of life, reducing sedentary time, and improving cognition in people with mild to moderate dementia.

Dr Andrew McDaid will lead the first study of automated over-ground gait training for acute stroke patients who cannot walk independently. The initial study will evaluate the feasibility of this approach. If positive, this will lead into a full RCT of the intervention to test its health- and cost- efficacy as well as to develop guidelines for integrating this technology into routine clinical practise.

These research projects aim to deliver real world impacts by providing solutions to challenges in healthcare.