New director for Children of the 90s
25 January 2006
'Children of the 90s', the ongoing study of 14 000 children based in Bristol, has a new director. Professor George Davey Smith, one of the world's leading epidemiologists, will take over from Professor Jean Golding, who is retiring as head of the project (also known as the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children - ALSPAC).
Professor Golding has been made an emeritus professor and will continue with specific research work with the study.
The new ALSPAC executive group will be:
- George Davey Smith (Director), Professor of Clinical Epidemiology, Department of Social Medicine, University of Bristol
- Dr John Henderson, Consultant Senior Lecturer, and Consultant Paediatrician at Bristol Children's Hospital
- Ms Lynn Molloy (Executive Director), former Business Manager with the Twin Research Unit at Guy's and St Thomas' in London
- Dr Andy Ness, Consultant Senior Lecturer.
The Wellcome Trust and the Medical Research Council have each awarded £4.47 million to ALSPAC as core funding over another five years for this unique resource of health and lifestyle data.
Under the new five-year programme, researchers will monitor the children as they go through adolescence into early adulthood focusing on some of the most important areas of concern in public health such as asthma, obesity, depression and risk-taking behaviour.
The new grant will take forward the work that began 15 years ago when Professor Golding enrolled 14 000 pregnant women who were due to give birth in the old county of Avon between April 1991 and December 1992.
Many of these children, who are now in their teens, are still closely involved with the project. As they go through their teenage years and into adulthood, it is hoped they will continue to participate in the study.
See also
- ALSPAC award renewed (News: 5 December 2005)
- Kids of the 90s (Feature)
- Social background may affect bone development (News: 20 April 2005)
- ALSPAC (Funded activities: Special initiatives)