Dr Toby Ellmers, Sir Henry Wellcome Research Fellow at Imperial College London, received our 2025 Rising Star Academy Excellence Award. Here, we dive into why he believes more people — and clinicians — should not underestimate the power of perception when it comes to managing and recovering from falls.
An academic psychologist by background, Toby is often met with surprise when he says he works in fall prevention and balance. But his research has shown that psychological factors are — in their own right — independent risk factors for future falls. They’re also linked to other negative outcomes like social isolation and physical deconditioning, because people start avoiding activities and leaving the house for fear of falling.
At the Vivensa Foundation, we prioritise funding projects that are under-addressed or under-funded. Toby’s research focus on the fear and anxiety around falling has been largely overlooked by clinicians.
“People’s mindsets influence how they recover after a fall,” Toby says. “Yet at the moment, it’s the physical factors that are considered most important — the level of frailty or how serious the injury has been. Psychological factors are usually ignored, which is where my research comes in.”
Setting the gold standard for managing the fear of falling
Having shown how important psychological factors are, Toby has gone on to develop approved tools that clinicians can use to assess and manage the fear of falling. His research has also informed the World Falls Guidelines and first official guidance on how the fear of falling can be clinically managed.
While already adopted by geriatric societies and clinicians around the world, Toby has plans to embed his tools further. Firstly, he has NIHR funding to plug a gap in the current guidelines around how best to assess and manage fear of falling in hospital settings.
Secondly, he will use part of his Excellence Award funding to bring together all the tools and guidance he’s developed into one place. “While they’re all publicly available, clinicians and older people have to look through multiple publications and websites,” explains Toby.
He envisions creating a single hub or app that organises advice and information based on who is using it, and what their needs or concerns are. “I want to develop new resources such as infographics, videos and guidance that can help clinicians and older people know what to do,” he adds. “There are many simple strategies older people can use to feel more confident and reduce their risk of falling. I hope to make this information much easier to find.”
The importance of networking for Early Career Researchers
For Toby, there are two must-haves for Early Career Researchers looking to take a step up in their careers. The first is networking and finding good mentors. He found most of his mentors by talking to people at conferences, even those slightly adjacent to his field. “I’ve found excellent mentors and valuable links by exploring conferences outside of my core area of research. I recommend researchers go to a broad range of events to build their networks,” advises Toby.
The second is not being afraid of failing. “I was unsuccessful the first year I applied to my current fellowship. In hindsight, I probably wasn’t ready,” shares Toby. “As researchers, we can use setbacks and feedback to strengthen our work, build new skills and come back stronger.”
Paying it forward: Mentoring and supporting the next generation of ageing researchers
One of the things Toby is most proud of is mentoring undergraduate and Master’s students. He supervises around 4 to 8 students a year, many of whom are having their first taste of research. “I find it immensely rewarding to help train the next generation of researchers and to get them as excited as I am about ageing research,” smiles Toby.
Another plan for his award funding is to make more studentships available — especially for those from allied health professions — and to cover the cost for them to attend conferences so they can begin building their own networks. “Ageing research is not just for those with medical degrees. I want people from under-represented professions to see that it’s open to them too.”
Lastly, Toby will use some of his award funding to develop a local patient and public involvement and engagement (PPIE) group. Any research team at Imperial will be able to access the group. “I always place great importance on discussing my research with older people to make sure what we’re doing will benefit them,” shares Toby. “But at the moment, those doing more basic research or just starting out struggle to know where to start with PPIE.” The local group will ensure they can get the early input they need. And others can build on the networks Toby has developed.
Do you know a rising star in ageing-related research?
Toby was awarded the 2025 Rising Star Award because he exemplifies a number of our research values. These include a commitment to capacity building and PPIE.
Our 2026 Excellence Awards will open in September 2025. Members of our Academy can self-nominate or nominate others. They must explain how they have demonstrated research excellence and a genuine commitment to our key values for research.
Next week you can read our spotlight on Professor Vicki Goodwin, our 2025 Senior Leader Award winner. She will share more about her curiosity-led approach to leadership in clinician research.
