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Research project

Hanson RG/15/17/31749 Epigenetic Biomarkers and Determinants of Cardiovascular Risk in Children

Project overview

This application aims to determine: early biomarkers of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk at birth/during childhood; the window(s) when early life interventions to reduce the risk of obesity and CVD are most effective; and the nature of potentially effective intervention(s). In the Southampton Women's Survey (SWS) prospective preconception cohort, we have discovered perinatal epigenetic biomarkers of later CVD risk in mechanistically relevant genes, now confirmed in our other cohorts. We will determine how these biomarkers relate to the trajectory of adiposity, cardiovascular structure, function and fitness in SWS children to age 12yrs. Using SWS samples collected at birth and age 12yrs we will extend our panel of epigenetic biomarkers and investigate interactions with fixed genetic variants in relation to CVD risk. Then we will relate the resulting biomarker panel to CVD risk in children from ongoing cohorts in which pre- or post-natal interventions to modify risk factors are being made.

Staff

Lead researchers

Emeritus Professor Mark Hanson

Research interests
  • Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Developmental nutrition and epigenetic mechanisms
Connect with Mark

Email: M.Hanson@soton.ac.uk

Other researchers

Professor Cyrus Cooper

Prof Rheumatology Clinical Epidemiology
Research interests
  • Key research contributions have been:
  • discovery of the developmental influences which contribute to the risk of osteoporosis and hi…
  • demonstration that maternal vitamin D insufficiency is associated with sub-optimal bone miner…
Connect with Cyrus

Email: cc@mrc.soton.ac.uk

Professor Keith Godfrey

Associate Dean – KEE
Connect with Keith

Email: kmg@mrc.soton.ac.uk

Emeritus Professor Hazel Inskip MSc, PhD, FFPH

Connect with Hazel

Email: hmi@mrc.soton.ac.uk

Collaborating research institutes, centres and groups

Research outputs

Anthropocene-related disease: The inevitable outcome of progressive niche modification
Peter D. Gluckman, Felicia M. Low & Mark A. Hanson, 2020, Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health, 2020(1), 304-310
DOI: 10.1093/emph/eoaa042
Type: letterEditorial
Maternal dysglycaemia, changes in the infant's epigenome modified with a diet and physical activity intervention in pregnancy: Secondary analysis of a randomised control trial
Elie Antoun, Negusse T. Kitaba, Philip Titcombe, Kathryn V. Dalrymple, Emma S. Garratt, Sheila J. Barton, Robert Murray, Paul T. Seed, Joanna D. Holbrook, Michael S. Kobor, David Ts Lin, Julia L. Macisaac, Graham C. Burdge, Sara L. White, Lucilla Poston, Keith M. Godfrey & Karen A. Lillycrop, 2020, PLoS Medicine, 17(11)
DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003229
Type: article
Change in modifiable maternal characteristics and behaviours between consecutive pregnancies and offspring adiposity: a systematic review
Elizabeth Taylor, Sam Wilding, Nida Ziauddeen, Keith Godfrey, Ann Berrington & Nisreen Alwan, 2020, Obesity Reviews, 21(11)
DOI: 10.1111/obr.13048
Type: article
The effects of different smoking patterns in pregnancy on perinatal outcomes in the Southampton Women’s Survey
Martin O'Donnell, Janis Baird, Cyrus Cooper, Sarah Crozier, Keith Godfrey, Michael Geary , Hazel Inskip & Catherine B. Hayes, 2020, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(21), 7991
DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17217991
Type: article
Measured weight in early pregnancy is a valid method for estimating pre-pregnancy weight
Hazel Inskip, Sarah Crozier, Janis Baird, Julia Hammond, Sian Robinson, Cyrus Cooper & Keith Godfrey, 2020, Journal of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
DOI: 10.1017/S2040174420000926
Type: article
Does early introduction of solid feeding lead to early cessation of breastfeeding?
Angelina Lessa, Ada Garcia, Pauline Emmett, Sarah Crozier, Sian M Robinson, Keith Godfrey & Charlotte M. Wright, 2020, Maternal & Child Nutrition, 16(4)
DOI: 10.1111/mcn.12944
Type: article
Unheard, unseen and unprotected: DOHaD Council’s call for action to protect the younger generation from the long-term effects of COVID-19
Tessa J. Roseboom, Susan E. Ozanne, Keith Godfrey, Carmen R. Isasi, Hiroaki Itoh, Rebecca Simmons , Amita Bansal, Mary Barker, Torsten Plosch, Deborah M. Sloboda, Stephen G. Matthews, Caroline Fall, Lucilla Poston & Mark Hanson, 2020, Journal of the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, 12(1), 3-5
DOI: 10.1017/S2040174420000847
Type: article