Zoe Jane-Lara Hildon

It has been a genuine pleasure to bring people together and see them build the confidence and skills to gather and interpret information about their own communities, then use it to shape the changes they want to make. Along the way, we have become part of a broader community, connected by shared values and a desire to make a difference together.

I am a sociologist, public health researcher and practitioner at the National University of Singapore. My work explores how communities and health systems can help people remain active, connected and supported as they age. I am particularly interested in resilience and creating the conditions for people to stay in communities of their choosing, even as their health and support needs change.

As lead evaluator for Movements for Health (M4H), I worked alongside community partners to understand how locally led initiatives could support health and wellbeing. Those relationships—and the learning we shared—helped shape SAGE, which I lead as Principal Investigator and grant holder.

My role is to connect people, guide the research and build the practical foundations for our work together: the training, tools and support that help communities turn their ideas into action. Through SAGE, we support seniors to become community researchers, co-designers and leaders of change in their own neighbourhoods. Building that capacity, so people can shape and sustain what matters to them, is at the heart of my work.

Outside work, I am an avid traveller, animal lover and fiction writer, with a deep curiosity about people, places and the stories that connect them.