Our unique contribution is our focus on positive outcomes across the life course, to discover what events in the early years are associated with human flourishing in later life. We focus on maximising wellbeing and human flourishing; follow up over time and across generations; observation and analysis methods; multi-discipline approaches and the integration of data.
Optimal maternal, infant, and child health is critical to longer term health and wellbeing for individuals, communities, and societies. It is increasingly evident that biological, psychological, emotional, interpersonal, nutritional and social milestones from conception onwards can influence the potential of individuals in the longer term and can even have an effect on several generations of a family. The time period from conception to an individual’s second birthday (‘first 1000’ days) is a crucial period of life that lays the foundations for optimal growth and development across a person’s lifespan.
Our focus
We aim to describe and analyse the interaction between factors and mechanisms that influence human survival, flourishing, and transformation in the early years (first 1000 days) of life, and to implement and evaluate resulting solutions. This is done through a programme of research, innovation, and knowledge transfer that is focused on salutogenic factors, in the context of complex systems theory. Our unique contribution is our focus on positive outcomes across the life course, to answer the question, ‘what events in the early years are associated with human flourishing in later life?’
Our research has the following key elements:
- Maximizing wellbeing and human flourishing
- Follow up over time, and across generations
- Methods that include observation and analysis of complex adaptive interactions between factors, systems, and mechanisms
- Multi- and trans-disciplinary approaches
- Integration of data at the micro (lab science), meso (application to people, families, society) and macro (policy) levels
The centre comprises six interrelated groups, as follows
- Research in Childbirth and Health (ReaCH)
- Maternal and Infant Nutrition and Nurture (MAINN)
- Building blocks of wellbeing (psychology, bioscience, bioimaging)
- IMAGES: Biomechanics and imaging research for maternal health and neonates
- Place and Space: Healthy settings, social and community architecture, and environments
- Philosophy
Academic expertise
News and events
- World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Public Health Nursing and Midwifery. Centre theme lead, Dr Karen Whittaker, has been selected following a competitive process, to join the team of technical advisors to the World Health Organisation Collaborating Centre for Public Health Nursing and Midwifery at Public Health England’s Chief Nurse Directorate.
Contact us
To find out more please contact Centre Co-Directors Professor Soo Downe or Dr Rebecca Nowland.