Dr Suzanne Byers

BSc (Hons), PhD

Senior Research Policy and Practice Fellow

Dr Suzanne Byers is a Senior Research Policy and Practice Fellow with the Commercialisation and Consultancy team at NARI. She brings extensive experience in government policy and programs, project management, systems thinking, consumer advocacy and research across both ageing and health.

Dr Byers holds a PhD in social gerontology and has led or contributed to a large range of research and quality improvements projects over the last 25 years. She particularly enjoys working with, and interviewing older people, to improve policy and practice.

Dr Byers has special research interests in social support networks in later life.

Further Information: LinkedIn

Email: [email protected]

Latest

2025 Highlights Report

The National Ageing Research Institute's 2025 Highlights Report
Pinyi Zou

Pinyi is a Research Assistant with a Bachelor of Biomedicine from the University of Melbourne, majoring in Human Structure and Function. She is interested in healthy ageing, dementia research, and culturally inclusive healthcare, with experience in healthcare administration, volunteering, and participant support.
Seminars in Ageing: Associations between female sex hormones and skeletal muscle ageing

In our June Seminar in Ageing, Professor Séverine Lamon discussed the role of sex hormones in female skeletal muscle adaptation to health and disease, with a focus on ageing.
Seminars in Ageing: Sarcopenia - Epidemiology, Diagnosis and Treatment

In the May Seminar in Ageing, Dr Ben Kirk presents a timely overview of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and treatment of sarcopenia, with a focus on practical clinical relevance for ageing, health, and aged care contexts.

Professor Tracy Comans

Professor Tracy Comans is the Director of the National Ageing Research Institute, a position she leverages to influence aged care policy and quality on a national scale and Professor in the Centre for Health Services Research, University of Queensland. With her extensive background in health policy, health economics and physiotherapy, Professor Comans brings a unique perspective to her role, bridging the gap between evidence and policy.
Elizabeth Watt

Liz is a Registered Nurse and Senior Research Fellow at NARI. Liz is currently working on the development and evaluation of a Massive Online Open Course – Caregiving, Dementia and Incontinence and the IDC-IMPROVE project aimed at improving care of older people in residential care who have a urinary catheter.
Professor Tuan Anh Nguyen

Professor Tuan Anh Nguyen is a Senior Principal Research Fellow with the Social Gerontology Division at NARI and an Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health at Trinity College Dublin. He also holds appointments as Professor with the Department of Psychological Sciences, School of Health Sciences at Swinburne University of Technology and Adjunct Associate Research Professor at Adelaide University.
Associate Professor Frances Batchelor

A/Prof Frances Batchelor is a Principal Research Fellow and Director of the Clinical Gerontology Division. She is also a Research Lead for the Melbourne Ageing Research Collaboration. Her PhD was on falls prevention after stroke. Her research interests are falls prevention, balance and gait, healthy ageing, the role of technology in ageing, and health and aged care practice.
Associate Professor Anita Goh

A/Prof Anita Goh (MAPS, FCCN) is a clinician researcher, with expertise in mental health, cognition, ageing, and dementia. Anita is a clinical neuropsychologist and a senior researcher at NARI, and holds honorary roles at The University of Melbourne, Royal Melbourne Hospital and Edith Cowan University.
Professor Joan Ostaszkiewicz

Joan Ostaszkiewicz is a Program Manager in the Clinical Gerontology Division at the National Ageing Research Institute. She has developed a program of research on caregiving associated with incontinence in older age.
Dr Paulene Mackell

Dr Paulene Mackell is a Senior Research Fellow at NARI within the Clinical Gerontology division. She is a social worker and researcher who has experience generating participatory, relational, and creative methodologies.
Professor Pazit Levinger

Professor Levinger is a Senior Principal Researcher (Accredited Exercise Physiologist) at NARI. She also holds Honorary positions at the Rehabilitation, Ageing and Independent Living (RAIL) Research Centre, Monash University and the Institute for Health and Sport (IHES), Victoria University.
Sue Williams

Sue Williams is a Policy and Practice Fellow (Physiotherapist) with over 30 years of clinical practice and research experience working with older people across hospital, aged care, and community settings. Sue Williams has extensive experience in clinical trials, quantitative and qualitative research.

Falls risk for older people in the community: FROP-Com

The Falls Risk for Older People in the Community (FROP-Com and FROP-Com Screen) are tools used in the community for assessment or screening of falls risk.
Age-positive language guide

As part of our commitment to combatting ageism, NARI has developed an age-positive language guide. The guide provides practical examples of how words, phrases, and images can better portray older people and combat ageism.
Indigenous cognitive assessment: Regional and urban KICA

The regional and urban KICA is an instrument to assess dementia in older Aboriginal people in regional and urban settings.
Where are the seniors exercise parks?

Seniors exercise parks are located across Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Healthy Ageing Quiz

If you're 50 or over, take our Healthy Ageing Quiz to find out if you're on the right track to age well.
Victorian falls and balance service directory

The Victorian Falls and Balance Service Directory provides details of the clinics and programs operated by public hospitals and community health services in Victoria for older people who have had a fall or are at risk of falling.
What is the Seniors Exercise Park?

The Seniors Exercise Park is an outdoor exercise equipment includes multiple stations specifically designed for older people to improve strength, balance, joint movements, mobility and function.
How to stay active at home - Exercises for older people

NARI's exercise videos can help older people stay active at home, particularly during times when you may not be as physically active outdoors. The exercises were developed by allied health professionals with expertise in exercise for older people.
Pain Management Guide (PMG) Toolkit for Aged Care, 2nd edition

The PMG toolkit, 2nd edition is a free resource to help implement the book Pain in Residential Aged Care Facilities: Management Strategies, 2nd Edition.
Research participants

Make a difference in the lives of older people and those who care for them by volunteering to be involved in research.