Susan Kurrle, MD, PhD is a medical specialist in geriatric medicine practising at Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital in northern Sydney and at Batemans Bay Hospital in southern NSW. She holds the Curran Chair in Health Care of Older People in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Sydney where she leads the NHMRC Cognitive Decline Partnership Centre. This Centre focuses on research and implementation projects dealing particularly with the care aspects of dementia and currently has 33 projects underway across Australia. Recent work includes development and dissemination of national clinical guidelines for management of dementia, and implementation of a model of care for people with delirium and dementia in acute hospitals. She has been involved in research and practice in the area of elder abuse for almost 30 years and continues to participate in implementation of community and health professional education, and development of policy across the health and legal practice communities.