Professor Roy Soiza | The University of Aberdeen

Professor Roy Soiza

MB ChB MRCP(UK)

Honorary Chair

About

Email Address: r.l.soiza@abdn.ac.uk
Office Address: c/o Ageing Clinical & Experimental Research, University of Aberdeen, Room 1:128, Polwarth Building, Aberdeen AB25 2ZD United Kingdom
School/Department: School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition

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ORCiD

Biography

I am a Consultant Geriatrician in NHS Grampian and Honorary Chair within the Ageing Clinical and Experimental Research (ACER) Group within the University of Aberdeen. I am the Editor-in-Chief of Age & Ageing, one of the world's leading geriatric medicine journals.

I graduated from Edinburgh University in 2000 and became a Member of the Royal College of Physicians in 2003. Later that year, I joined the North of Scotland training programme as a Specialist Registrar in Geriatric Medicine and General Internal Medicine. In 2006, I joined the University of Aberdeen as Clinical Lecturer in Elderly Medicine.

I have been a Consultant Geriatrician with NHS Grampian since 2008, except 2018-2023 when I worked within General Medicine at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary. I have held numerous roles in postgraduate medical training, including Training Programme Director for Core Medical Training and Geriatric Medicine and serving as Associate Postgraduate Dean from 2015-2017.

I was awarded an NRS Career Researcher Fellowship in 2012. I was promoted to Honorary Chair in February 2024, having previously held the roles of Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer and Honorary Reader.

External Memberships

Consultant Physician, NHS Grampian
Editor in Chief, Age & Ageing 2024- (previously Senior Editor 2022-4, Associate Editor 2020-2)
Reviewer, for numerous international medical journals and grant-awarding bodies including MRC, CSO, NIHR, Research Council of Norway, South African Medical Research Council and Italian Ministry of Education, Universities & Research
External Examiner, MSc (Hons) and PhD at various universities internationally

Previous Roles

Associate Editor, Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety 2010-2025, Geriatric Pharmacology 2023-2025

Chair, Data Monitoring Committee, CONFORM-OH trial
Associate Postgraduate Dean (Medicine), NES, 1^st Feb 2015 – 31^st Aug 2017
NRS Career Research Fellow 2012-5
HIS Growing Older in Scotland Report, Reference Group Member
Treasurer, Scottish Society of Physicians, 2014-8
Executive Committee Member, Scottish Society of Physicians, 2012-8
Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN), Delirium Guideline Development Group Member 2016-9, Dementia Guideline Group Member 2020-
Chair, Organising Committee, RCPE Geriatric Medicine Symposium 2019
Faculty Member, Faculty Development Alliance (formerly SCOTS Supervisor Training Courses), 2010-7
Electives Adviser, University of Aberdeen Medical School, 2010-8
Training Programme Director, North of Scotland Deanery

Core Medical Training 2010-3

Geriatric Medicine 2011-5
Educational Supervisor, Foundation Programme, GP and Specialty Registrars, 2008-
Chair, Medical Specialties Training Committee, North of Scotland Deanery 2013-2015
Member, RCP/BGS Geriatric Medicine Specialty Certificate Exam (SCE) Question Writing Group, 2009-14
Advisory Board Member, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals (UK), 2010-12
Clinical Supervisor, Physician Associate course, University of Aberdeen 2013-5
‘Hospital to Home’ National Project Advisory Group Member, Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS), 2013-6
Expert panellist, for a number of Delphi expert panels, e.g. for the FORTA, OPERAM and PERFECTED clinical trials

Research

Research Overview

I am interested in all aspects of health and disease in old age. I run clinical trials in a number of areas but specialise in conditions of old age, and trials that need to recruit large number of older people. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, I have been leading my organisation's work on vaccine trials. I have also researched polypharmacy, anticholinergic burden, hyponatraemia, whole body vibration exercise, vascular ageing and cognitive ageing. I have wide experience in epidemiological and physiological studies, as well as systematic reviews and evidence synthesis.

Research Areas

Applied Health Sciences

Supervising

View Research Area

Research Specialisms

Clinical Medicine
Medicine
Pharmacology

Our research specialisms are based on the Higher Education Classification of Subjects (HECoS) which is HESA open data, published under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International licence.

Current Research

I am currently leading the Widening Access to Trials in Care Homes (WATCH) project, funded by the Vaccine Innovation Fund. This project will produce best practice guidance in recruiting care home residents into trials of vaccines. This matters because they are an under-represented group in trials, despite being among the worst affected by conditions for which vaccines are being developed, such as respiratory viruses. I am the Principal Investigator of a several clinical studies including Nova-301, Embrace and RSVoice.

Supervision

My current supervision areas are: Applied Health Sciences.

I have supervised numerous undergraduate and postgraduate students from medical elective students to PhD candidates.

Funding and Grants

Current Grants

'Widening Access to Trials in Care Homes (WATCH)' RL Soiza, Vaccine Innovation Fund 24/005, £299,792
‘An evidence synthesis suite to inform a a future randomised trial of reducing anticholinergic related harm in older adults’, PK Myint, RL Soiza et al (6 co-investigators), Dunhill Medical Trust Ref No RPGF180666, £99,165

Recent Grants
‘Oral iron, intravenous iron or discontinuation of therapy for older adults with treatment unresponsive iron deficiency anaemia- a pilot randomised controlled trial’, PK Myint, RL Soiza et al (7 co-investigators), CSO Grant Ref No HIPS/17/15, £283,555
‘Development and clinical trials of a new Software ENgine for the Assessment & optimization of drug and non-drug Therapy in Older persons (SENATOR)’, EU FP7 Project Grant, D O’Mahony, RL Soiza et al (12 co-investigators), €5,938,947
‘Does oral sodium bicarbonate therapy improve function and quality of life in older patients with chronic kidney disease and low-grade acidosis? A multicentre randomized placebo controlled trial’ NIHR HTA Grant 10/71, MD Witham, RL Soiza et al (10 co-investigators), £1,471,735
‘Vitamin K supplementation to reduce falls in older people – a multicentre trial’ CSO Grant CZH/4/1100, MD Witham, M McMurdo, P Donnan, P Mc Namee, RL Soiza, V Cvoro, £213,493
‘Assessment of association between slow muscle fibres of calf and postural integrity between elderly fallers and non fallers using MRI techniques – a proof of concept study’ NHS Grampian Endowment Fund Research Grant 14/19, PK Myint, SR Gray, J He, RL Soiza,£11,936
Vascular ageing and hyponatraemia, NRS Career Researcher Fellowship, £123,010
‘Association of White Matter Lesions with Endothelial Dysfunction and Postural Blood Pressure Instability (ENDOW Study)’ NHS Grampian Endowment Fund Research Grant, £16,000, GE Hoyle, RL Soiza, DJP Williams, DG Seymour, AD Murray
‘Aberdeen 1936 Birth Cohort Study: Wave 4’ Development Trust Alzheimer’s Research Fund, £41,382, AD Murray, RL Soiza, LJ Whalley
'Association of Postural Blood Pressure Instability with Arterial Stiffness and Endothelial Dysfunction' NHSG Endowments No. 08/26 £8,667, RL Soiza, S Saha, GE Hoyle, DJP Williams
‘The role of serum urate in cognitive decline’ Tenovus Scotland Project Grant G09/20 £9,456, RL Soiza, AD Murray, L Phillips, RT Staff
‘The association between plasma nitrite levels and degree of endothelial function measured by pulse wave analysis’ 50% NHSG Endowments No. 09/19 & 50% British Geriatrics Society SpR Start-up Grant - £13,704, RL Soiza, S Saha, DJP Williams, IJ Megson
‘Arginine Methylation: the missing link between vascular risk and Alzheimer’s disease severity’. NHS Grampian Endowments Research Grant 11/08, £9,084 AA Mangoni, RL Soiza, D Mowat
‘Can asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) predict cognitive decline?’ NHS Grampian Endowments Research Grant No 11/07, £11,789, AA Mangoni, F Thies, RL Soiza, RT Staff

Datasets

Data From Classifying the non-metabolic demands of different physical activity types: The Physical Activity Demand (PAD) typology
DOI

10.1371/journal.pone.0291782

Publisher

University of Aberdeen

Links
Date Made Available

19 October 2023

Related Research Outputs
- Classifying the non-metabolic demands of different physical activity types
Contributors

Roberts, C. (Creator), Phillips, L. (Creator), Cooper, C. (Creator), Gray, S. (Creator), Soiza, R. (Creator), Allan, J. (Creator)

View My Datasets on Pure

Publications

Update

Biography

External Memberships

Research Overview

Research Areas

Applied Health Sciences

Research Specialisms

Current Research

Supervision

Funding and Grants

Datasets

Data From Classifying the non-metabolic demands of different physical activity types: The Physical Activity Demand (PAD) typology

Efficacy of non-pharmacological interventions to treat malnutrition in older persons: A systematic review and meta-analysis. The SENATOR project ONTOP series and MaNuEL Knowledge Hub project

Variability in the clinical management of iron deficiency anaemia in older adults: results from a survey of UK specialists in the care of older people

Effect of two different participant information sheets on recruitment to a falls trial: An embedded randomised recruitment trial

Non-pharmacological interventions for the improvement of post-stroke activities of daily living and disability amongst older stroke survivors: A systematic review

The pale evidence for treatment of iron-deficiency anaemia in older people

Management of acute coronary syndromes in older people

Serum sodium level variability as a prognosticator in older adults

Prevalence and Determinants of Frailty and Associated Co-morbidities Among Older Gurkha Welfare Pensioners in Nepal

Non-pharmacological interventions to prevent falls in older patients: Clinical practice recommendations – the SENATOR ONTOP Series

Addition of sodium criterion to SOAR stroke score

Nonpharmacological interventions to treat physical frailty and sarcopenia in older patients: a systematic overview - the SENATOR Project ONTOP Series

The SENATOR project: developing and trialling a novel software engine to optimize medications and nonpharmacological therapy in older people with multimorbidity and polypharmacy

Systematic review of systematic reviews of non-pharmacological interventions to treat behavioural disturbances in older patients with dementia. The SENATOR-OnTop series

Patterns of Drug Use and Serum Sodium Concentrations in Older Hospitalized Patients: A Latent Class Analysis Approach

Non-Pharmacological Interventions to Prevent or Treat Delirium in Older Patients: Clinical Practice Recommendations The SENATOR-ONTOP Series

Effectiveness of Non-Pharmacological Interventions to Prevent Falls in Older People: A Systematic Overview. The SENATOR Project ONTOP Series

A randomised controlled trial of calcium channel blockade (CCB) with Amlodipine For the treatment oF subcortical ischaEmic vasCular demenTia (AFFECT): study protocol

Non-pharmacological interventions to prevent or treat pressure ulcers in older patients: Clinical practice recommendations. The SENATOR-ONTOP series

Optimal target for blood pressure control - how low should we go?

Hyponatremia predicts mortality after stroke

Meta-analysis of Multifactorial Interventions to Prevent Falls of Older Adults in Care Facilities

Does oral sodium bicarbonate therapy improve function and quality of life in older patients with chronic kidney disease and low-grade acidosis (the BiCARB trial)?: Study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Efficacy of Non-Pharmacological Interventions to Prevent and Treat Delirium in Older Patients: A Systematic Overview. The SENATOR project ONTOP Series

Nonpharmacologic Interventions to Heal Pressure Ulcers in Older Patients: An Overview of Systematic Reviews (The SENATOR-ONTOP Series)

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: What Is the Evidence for Oral Iron Supplementation in Treating Anaemia in Elderly People?

Evidence of and recommendations for non-pharmacological interventions for common geriatric conditions: the SENATOR-ONTOP systematic review protocol

Prognosis of hyponatremia in elderly patients with fragility fractures

Hyponatraemia after fracture is often caused by hypovolaemia, not SIADH

Bioelectrical impedance analysis is more accurate than clinical examination in determining the volaemic status of elderly patients with fragility fracture and hyponatraemia

Hyponatremia: Special Considerations in Older Patients

The relationship between total anticholinergic burden (ACB) and early in-patient hospital mortality and length of stay in the oldest old aged 90 years and over admitted with an acute illness

Minimizing anticholinergic drug prescribing in older hospitalized patients: a full audit cycle

A simple 5-point scoring system, NaURSE (Na+, Urea, Respiratory Rate and Shock Index in the Elderly), predicts in-hospital mortality in oldest old

Prevalence, incidence and etiology of hyponatremia in elderly patients with fragility fractures

Memory Impairment is Associated with Serum Methylarginines in Older Adults

A needs assessment and feasibility study to establish the case for assisted living housing in Gorakha, Lamjung and Tanahu Districts, Nepal

Associations between different measures of anticholinergic drug exposure and Barthel Index in older hospitalized patients

Evidence of endothelial dysfunction in the development of Alzheimer's disease: Is Alzheimer's a vascular disorder?

Serum methylarginines and incident depression in a cohort of older adults

Serum Methylarginines and Spirometry-Measured Lung Function in Older Adults

Asymmetric dimethylarginine: a possible link between vascular disease and dementia

Identification of possible determinants of inpatient mortality using Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis in hospitalized oldest old patients

Practical advice for prescribing in old age

Drug Burden Index, Physical Function, and Adverse Outcomes in Older Hospitalized Patients

Evidence of net benefit of proton pump inhibitors with clopidogrel is lacking in older patients

Inappropriate Prescribing of Proton Pump Inhibitors in Older Patients: Effects of an Educational Strategy

Anticholinergic drugs and functional outcomes in older patients undergoing orthopaedic rehabilitation

The effect of hearing augmentation on cognitive assessment scales at admission to hospital

Non-psychiatric comorbidity associated with Alzheimer's disease

Age, co-morbidity and poor mobility: no evidence of predicting in-patient death and acute hospital length of stay in the oldest old

Syndrome of appropriate antidiuretic hormone: difficulties with diagnosing syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone in older people

Management of hyponatraemia in older people: old threats and new opportunities

Volaemic assessment of the elderly hyponatraemic patient: reliability of clinical assessment and validation of bioelectrical impedance analysis

EXercising with Computers in Later Life (EXCELL): pilot and feasibility study of the acceptability of the Nintendo WiiFit in community-dwelling fallers

Association between prescribing of antimuscarinic drugs and antimuscarinic adverse effects in older people

Creatinine and eGFR are similarly predictive of outcome of acute coronary syndrome

Hormonal responses to a single session of wholebody vibration exercise in older individuals

Optimising whole body vibration training for use in older people

Attitudes of First Year Medical Students in Singapore Towards Older People and Willingness to Consider a Career in Geriatric Medicine

Genetic determinants of ageing processes and diseases in later life

Attitudes of first-year medical students in Singapore towards older people and willingness to consider a career in geriatric medicine

Neuroimaging studies of delirium: a systematic review

White matter lesions and endothelial dysfunction measured by pulse wave analysis

Spontaneous splenic rupture mimicking pneumonia: a case report

Equivalence of inhaled and nebulized salbutamol in the assessment of endothelial dysfunction

Electrolyte and salt disturbances in older people: Causes, management and implications

Postgraduate performance: Study was flawed

Medical student attitudes toward older people and willingness to consider a career in geriatric medicine

Nonequivalence of Inhaled and Nebulized Salbutamol in the Assessment of Endothelial Dysfunction