While the world’s population continues to live for longer, the time spent in good health is not always keeping pace. This not only has significant consequences for quality of life in old age, but also places a substantial economic burden on health and social care provision. This multi-disciplinary meeting will bring together scientists and healthcare professionals to discuss recent advances in the understanding of the processes responsible for and associated with ageing, and new approaches to improve the health and quality of life of the ageing population.