Enhancing Frailty Research: Insights from My Short-Term Scientific Mission

During my Short-Term Scientific Mission (STSM) at Dalhousie University in the summer of 2024, I had the unique opportunity to dive deeper into the world of geriatric medicine, with a focus on frailty. Over two months, I worked on expanding my understanding of research, frailty assessment, and the process of scientific publication. Although the mission was intense, it was filled with valuable lessons, rewarding challenges, and moments of success that will definitely shape my future work.

One of the main goals of this project was to improve my skills in research and academic writing. I participated in a series of courses that helped me understand how to structure research papers and navigate the often complicated process of publishing them. Learning about research design, data analysis, and writing for peer-reviewed journals really sharpened my abilities, and I had the chance to receive feedback from experienced researchers. This experience gave me a solid foundation to approach future projects with confidence.

Another key part of my STSM was developing a frailty index based on data I collected. Frailty, especially in older populations, is an important area of study, and working on creating a reliable tool to measure it was both challenging and rewarding. With the support of the host institution’s team, I was able to create a 36-item frailty index. Though my sample size was small, the index I developed showed strong correlations with outcomes like hospitalization duration, mortality rates, and heart failure conditions. I’m planning to submit this work to next year’s EuGMS conference and hopefully continue building on it with a larger data set in future research.

Beyond the technical work, I spent a lot of time learning more about frailty by attending specialized courses and discussing various approaches with professionals in the field. These sessions gave me a broader view of how frailty is understood and measured across different settings. I also had the privilege of visiting Veterans Camp Hospital, where I gained practical insights into how frailty is assessed in real-world environments.

Of course, there were challenges along the way. Working with a limited data sample was one of them. It would have been great to have more data, but this constraint pushed me to think more critically about how to improve the index and refine it for future research. In the end, the experience taught me how to adapt and find value in the work, even when everything doesn’t go as planned.

Overall, my time at Dalhousie was incredibly productive. I walked away with a stronger grasp of research methodologies, new connections with experts like Dr. Rockwood and Dr. Theou, and a frailty index that I’m eager to expand on. I’m also excited about the idea of giving back by offering courses on frailty assessment to others in the field. This mission not only helped me grow professionally but also sparked new ideas for how I can continue to contribute to the study of frailty in geriatric medicine.