Professor Marion E T McMurdo

MB ChB MD FRCP CBiol FIBiol MILT
Head of Ageing and Health and Consultant
Physician in Medicine for the Elderly

Background

Marion McMurdo is a native of Troon in Ayrshire and graduated in medicine from the University of Dundee in 1980. After a period of general training she worked in Clinical Pharmacology as Deputy Medical Director of Drug Development (Scotland) Limited, before choosing to specialise in Medicine for the Elderly. She was appointed to the newly created Chair of Ageing and Health in 1997. Key research interests are exercise in old age, nutrition and the cardiology of old age.

Professor McMurdo has served on the research committees of the Chief Scientist's Office since 1991, formerly as Vice-Chairman of the Disability and Continuing Health Care Committee, and latterly as a member of the Biomedical and Therapeutics Committee. She was an appointed member of the Scottish Health and Physical Activity Council.

She was founding Chair of the Falls and Bone Health Section of the British Geriatrics Society, and past President of BGS (Scotland). She is external tutor to the World Health Organisation’s International Institute on Ageing.

She received the Lady Illingworth Prize in 2001 an award made to the UK clinician considered to have made the greatest contribution to improving the quality of life of older people through research. In 2005 she was identified by the British Medical Association as one of 14 UK academic role models as part of a national campaign to promote careers in academic medicine.

She is co-founder and director of Dorothy Dobson Developments Limited. A University of Dundee Limited Company. A network of over-60s exercise classes has been established throughout the United Kingdom.

Recent Publications

Roddy E, Zhang W, Doherty M, Arden N, Barlow J, Birrell F, Carr A, Chakravarty, Dickson J, Hay E, Hosie G, Hurley M, Jordan K, McCarthy C, McMurdo MET, Mead J, Mockett S, Noxon J, O’Reilly S, Peat G, Pendleton A, Richards S. Evidence-based recommendations for the role of exercise in the management of osteoarthritis of the hip or knee-the MOVE consensus. Rheumatology 2005;44(1):67-73. IF 3.760, 4/21.

Price RJG, Pennington CR, Daly F, McMurdo MET. Nutritional supplementation of very old people at hospital discharge increases muscle strength: a randomised controlled trial. Gerontology 2005; 51(3):179-185. IF 1.600, rank 15/27.

McMurdo MET, Bissett L, Price RJG, Phillips G, Crombie IK. Does ingestion of cranberry juice reduce symptomatic urinary infections in older people in hospital? A double blind, placebo controlled trial. Age Ageing 2005;34:256-261. IF 1.760, rank 14/27.

Witham M, Gray JA, Argo I, Johnston DW, Struthers AD, McMurdo MET. Does a seated exercise programme improve functional status and health status in frail older heart failure patients? A randomised controlled trial. Am J Cardiology 2005;95 (9): 1120-4. IF 3.059, rank 14/70 (Cardiology and cardiovascular).

Barnett KN, McMurdo MET, Ogston SA, Morris AD, Evans JMM. Morality in people diagnosed with type 2 diabetes at an older age: a systematic review. Age Ageing 2006; 35:463-468. IF 2.196, ranking 11/29 (Geriatrics and Gerontology).

Roddy E, Zhang W, Doherty M, Arden NK, Barlow J, Birell F, Carr A, Chakavarty K, Dickson J, Hay E, Hosie G, Hurley M, Jordan K, McCarthy C, McMurdo MET, Mockett S, O’Reilly S, Peat G, Pendleton A, Richards S. Evidence-based clinical guidelines: A new system to better determine true strength of recommendations. J Evaluation in Clin Practice 2006;12:3:347-352. IF 1.562, rank 16/52 (Healthcare Science and Services)

Molloy GJ, Johnston DW, Witham MD, Gray JM, Argo I, Struthers AD, McMurdo MET. Effects of an exercise training intervention for older heart failure patients on caregiver burden and emotional distress. European Journal of Cardiovascular Prevention and Rehabilitation 2006;13 (3): 13, 381-387. IF 3.0, rank 31/71 (Cardiac and Cardiovascular systems).

Bolton-Smith C, McMurdo MET, Paterson CR, Mole PA, Harvey J, Fenton ST, Prynne CJ, Shearer MJ. A two-year randomized controlled trial of phylloquinone (vitamin K1) and vitamin D3 plus calcium on the bone health of older women. J Bone Mineral Res 2007;22:509-519. IF 6.527, ranking 7/89.

Williams B, Irvine L, McGinnis AR, McMurdo MET, Crombie IK. When no might not quite mean no; the importance of informed and meaningful non-consent. Results from a survey of individuals refusing participation in a health-related research project. BMC Health Services Research 2007;7:59 IF 1.63.

Contact Details:

Professor Marion E T McMurdo Head of Ageing and Health and Consultant Physician Section of Ageing & Health Division of Medicine & Therapeutics Ninewells Hospital & Medical School Dundee Tel: (01382) 632436 Fax: (01382) 660675 Email: Professor Marion McMurdo