MB ChB MRCP(UK)
Honorary Chair
- About
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- 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
Biography
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 was a Consultant Geriatrician with NHS Grampian from 2008 to 2018, before joining the General Medicine Department at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, returning to Geriatric Medicine in 2023. 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. Having previous held roles of Honorary Senior Lecturer and Honorary Reader, I was awarded an Honorary Chair in February 2024. I am the Editor-in-Chief of Age & Ageing.
External Memberships
- Consultant Physician, NHS Grampian
- Editor in Chief, Age & Ageing 2024- (previously Senior Editor 2022-4, Associate Editor 2020-2)
- Associate Editor, Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety 2010-, Geriatric Pharmacology 2023-, SAGE Open Medicine 2012-,
- Editorial Board Member, American Journal of Cardiovascular Disease 2011-, BMC Health Services Research 2014-
- Growing Older in Scotland Report, Reference Group Member
- 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
Other Recent Roles
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Associate Postgraduate Dean (Medicine), NES, 1st Feb 2015 – 31st Aug 2017
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NRS Career Research Fellow 2012-5
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Treasurer, Scottish Society of Physicians, 2014-8
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Executive Committee Member, Scottish Society of Physicians, 2012-8
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Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN), Delirium Guideline Development Group Member 2016-9, Dementia Guideline Group Member 2020-
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Chair, Organising Committee, RCPE Geriatric Medicine Symposium 2019
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Faculty Member, Faculty Development Alliance (formerly SCOTS Supervisor Training Courses), 2010-7
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Electives Adviser, University of Aberdeen Medical School, 2010-8
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Training Programme Director, North of Scotland Deanery
Core Medical Training 2010-3
Geriatric Medicine 2011-5
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Educational Supervisor, Foundation Programme, GP and Specialty Registrars, 2008-
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Chair, Medical Specialties Training Committee, North of Scotland Deanery 2013-2015
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Member, RCP/BGS Geriatric Medicine Specialty Certificate Exam (SCE) Question Writing Group, 2009-14
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Advisory Board Member, Otsuka Pharmaceuticals (UK), 2010-12
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External Examiner, MSc (Hons) research theses, Dundee University and Flinders University 2012-6
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Clinical Supervisor, Physician Associate course, University of Aberdeen 2013-5
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‘Hospital to Home’ National Project Advisory Group Member, Institute for Research and Innovation in Social Services (IRISS), 2013-6
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Expert panellist, for a number of Delphi expert panels, e.g. for the FORTA, OPERAM and PERFECTED clinical trials
- Research
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Research Overview
I am interested in all aspects of health and disease in old age. My chief interests are hyponatraemia in older people and clinical pharmacology in old age. More recently, I have been working on COVID-19 therapy trials, and leading on vaccine trials. I have also researched polypharmacy, whole body vibration exercise, vascular ageing and cognitive ageing. I run clinical trials in older people but have wide experience in epidemiological and mechanistic studies, as well as systematic reviews.
Current Research
I am the Aberdeen Principal Investigator for the NOVAVAX, MODERNA P-305 (omicron), Medicago, BiCARB, K-SWAY, LACE, RAINDROP and SENATOR randomised controlled trials.
I have an ongoing interest in hyponatraemia, most recently investigating the causes of hyponatraemia after head injury.
I also led Wave 4 of the Aberdeen 1936 Birth Cohort (ABC36) Study, a longitudinal cohort study of cognitive ageing.
Supervision
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
- ‘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
- Publications
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Page 5 of 7 Results 101 to 125 of 163
Optimal target for blood pressure control - how low should we go?
Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, vol. 46, no. 1, pp. 21-22Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.4997/JRCPE.2016.106
Hyponatremia predicts mortality after stroke
International Journal of Stroke, vol. 10, no. A100, pp. 50-55Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/ijs.12564
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/8408/1/Na_Stroke_Int_J_Stroke.pdf
Meta-analysis of Multifactorial Interventions to Prevent Falls of Older Adults in Care Facilities
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, vol. 63, no. 9, pp. 1972-1973Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jgs.13622
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
Trials, vol. 16, 326Contributions to Journals: ArticlesEfficacy of Non-Pharmacological Interventions to Prevent and Treat Delirium in Older Patients: A Systematic Overview. The SENATOR project ONTOP Series
PloS ONE, vol. 10, no. 6, e0123090Contributions to Journals: Review articlesNonpharmacologic Interventions to Heal Pressure Ulcers in Older Patients: An Overview of Systematic Reviews (The SENATOR-ONTOP Series)
Journal of the American Medical Directors Association, vol. 16, no. 6, pp. 448-469Contributions to Journals: Review articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jamda.2015.01.083
Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis: What Is the Evidence for Oral Iron Supplementation in Treating Anaemia in Elderly People?
Drugs & Aging, vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 149-158Contributions to Journals: Review articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40266-015-0241-5
Evidence of and recommendations for non-pharmacological interventions for common geriatric conditions: the SENATOR-ONTOP systematic review protocol
BMJ Open, vol. 5, e007488Contributions to Journals: Review articlesPrognosis of hyponatremia in elderly patients with fragility fractures
Journal of clinical medicine research, vol. 7, no. 1, pp. 45-51Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.14740/jocmr1984w
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/4092/1/Prognosis_of_hypo.pdf
Hyponatraemia after fracture is often caused by hypovolaemia, not SIADH
International Orthopaedics, vol. 2015, 959213Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/959213
Bioelectrical impedance analysis is more accurate than clinical examination in determining the volaemic status of elderly patients with fragility fracture and hyponatraemia
Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, vol. 18, no. 8, pp. 744-750Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12603-014-0539-8
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/4950/1/Bioelectrical_impedance_analysis_is_more_accurate_than_clinical_examination_in_determining_the_volaemic_status_of_elderly_patients_with_fragility_fracture_and_hyponatraemia.docx
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Hyponatremia: Special Considerations in Older Patients
Journal of Clinical Medicine, vol. 3, no. 3, pp. 944-958Contributions to Journals: Literature Reviews- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm3030944
- [OPEN ACCESS] http://aura.abdn.ac.uk/bitstream/2164/5744/1/jcm_03_00944.pdf
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
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, vol. 59, no. 1, pp. 155-161Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2014.01.006
Minimizing anticholinergic drug prescribing in older hospitalized patients: a full audit cycle
Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety, vol. 5, no. 3, pp. 121-128Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2042098614523638
A simple 5-point scoring system, NaURSE (Na+, Urea, Respiratory Rate and Shock Index in the Elderly), predicts in-hospital mortality in oldest old
Age and Ageing, vol. 43, no. 3, pp. 352-357Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/ageing/afu002
Prevalence, incidence and etiology of hyponatremia in elderly patients with fragility fractures
PloS ONE, vol. 9, no. 2, e88272Contributions to Journals: ArticlesMemory Impairment is Associated with Serum Methylarginines in Older Adults
Current Alzheimer Research, vol. 11, no. 1, pp. 97-106Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/15672050113106660178
A needs assessment and feasibility study to establish the case for assisted living housing in Gorakha, Lamjung and Tanahu Districts, Nepal
Commissioned by Gurkha Welfare Trust, Nepal. University of Aberdeen. 54 pagesBooks and Reports: Commissioned ReportsAssociations between different measures of anticholinergic drug exposure and Barthel Index in older hospitalized patients
Therapeutic Advances in Drug Safety, vol. 4, no. 6, pp. 235-245Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/2042098613500689
Evidence of endothelial dysfunction in the development of Alzheimer's disease: Is Alzheimer's a vascular disorder?
American Journal of Cardiovascular Disease, vol. 3, no. 4, pp. 197-226Contributions to Journals: Review articlesSerum methylarginines and incident depression in a cohort of older adults
Journal of Affective Disorders, vol. 151, no. 2, pp. 493-499Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2013.06.033
Serum Methylarginines and Spirometry-Measured Lung Function in Older Adults
PloS ONE, vol. 8, no. 5, pp. 1-11Contributions to Journals: ArticlesAsymmetric dimethylarginine: a possible link between vascular disease and dementia
Current Alzheimer Research, vol. 10, no. 4, pp. 347-356Contributions to Journals: Review articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.2174/1567205011310040001
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus
Identification of possible determinants of inpatient mortality using Classification and Regression Tree (CART) analysis in hospitalized oldest old patients
Archives of Gerontology and Geriatrics, vol. 56, no. 1, pp. 188-191Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.archger.2012.07.005
Practical advice for prescribing in old age
Medicine (United Kingdom), vol. 41, no. 1, pp. 9-12Contributions to Journals: Articles- [ONLINE] DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mpmed.2012.10.006
- [ONLINE] View publication in Scopus