The environments we live and work in affect our physiological functions and health, which in turn can affect behavior, productivity, and overall labor market performance. Air pollution in particular is a pervasive environmental issue with far-reaching consequences for human health and well-being, as has been suggested by e.g., Currie, Neidell, and Schmieder (2009), Currie et al. (2014), Greenstone and Hanna (2014), or Newell et al. (2018). Exposure to air pollution can affect human health even during the gestation period resulting in poorer health at birth (Chay and Greenstone 2003; Currie and Neidell 2005; Bharadwaj et al. 2017), which in turn negatively impacts human capital accumulation (Black et al. 2007; Zivin and Neidell 2013) and life-long health and labor market outcomes (Rangel and Vogl 2019). Poor health in childhood also affects labor markets indirectly as poorer development status in childhood can potentially decrease parents’ labor supply in terms of hours worked, and thus the household’s overall income (Lafférs and Schmidpeter 2021).

In this project we propose to investigate the effect of in-utero exposure on cognitive abilites of the children. Moreover, we plan to investigate how the negative effect of pollution on child's human capital affects productivity and social capital of their parents.

G1 participants of ALSPAC have had their lung function measured at the ages of 8, 15 and 24 years. This data has been used to plot trajectories of their lung function, from which four distinct patterns have been identified: persistently high, normal, below average, and persistently low. It is known that below normal lung function trajectories are associated with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. It is therefore important that we identify and target any modifiable risk factors. We propose using linked GP and hospital records to compare the prevalence of childhood respiratory disease in each trajectory group. By looking at hospital admissions, inhaler use and the prescription of antibiotics and steroids we can also assess the severity of respiratory disease, particularly in asthma and chest infections. Identifying conditions that increase the risk of below normal lung function gives us the opportunity to target them in childhood by optimising their clinical management.

Adolescence is the age of onset of many common mental disorders. The roles of epigenetic modifications, such as DNA methylation (DNAm), has increasingly been recognised in neurological and psychiatric disorders, brain development, and aging. Investigating the relationships between DNAm and mental health, particularly in children and adolescents, is crucial for identifying early biomarkers and for enhancing our understanding of biological mechanisms underlying risk for and onset of mental illness at this developmentally sensitive period.

Blood pressure rises during exercise as a result of changes in the amount of blood the heart pumps and changes in the circulation within skeletal muscle. An exaggerated blood pressure response to exercise can indicate poor cardiovascular health but recent work suggests an exaggerated exercise BP only indicates poor cardiovascular health when cardiopulmonary fitness (aerobic fitness) is low. In this project we propose to explore the effect of fitness on exercise blood pressure and the mechanisms underlying this relationship. Sex differences in all metrics and associations will also be explored to get a better understanding of cardiovascular health in young men and women.

Attachment theory suggests that when babies are born, their main aim is to connect with and stay close to their caregiver. This behaviour has developed over time to help them survive. Scientists have come up with different attachment styles, like secure, avoidant, anxious, and disorganised. Previous studies have found that how well a child bonds with their caregiver can affect things like blood pressure, stress, habits, self-esteem, wellbeing and how they form and keep stable adult relationships. The upcoming research project will investigate the strength and direction of the relationship between attachment and later health and relationship outcomes.

Attachment theory suggests that when babies are born, their main aim is to connect with and stay close to their caregiver. This behaviour has developed over time to help them survive. Scientists have come up with different attachment styles, like secure, avoidant, anxious, and disorganised. Previous studies have found that how well a child bonds with their caregiver can affect things like blood pressure, stress, habits, self-esteem, wellbeing and how they form and keep stable adult relationships. The upcoming research project will investigate the strength and direction of the relationship between attachment and later health and relationship outcomes.

Unraveling the Link Between Our Bodies and Minds

Ever wondered why our mental well-being is so unique to each of us? Our research project is like a treasure hunt for answers. We believe our mental health is indeed influenced by a complex web of factors, with a spotlight on our immune and metabolic systems.

What We're Doing:
We're investigating the interrelationships among our genes, the surrounding environment, and the internal mechanisms of our bodies. These factors significantly impact how we think, feel, and live. Our objective is to comprehend the roles played by our immune and metabolic systems in this intricate web of connections.

Why It's Important:
Mental health is a big part of life, and we want to help people live their best lives. By studying how our genes, environment, and our body's inner processes influence our mental well-being, we aim to uncover new insights into mental health and develop effective interventions.

How We're Doing It:
We're collecting information from a diverse group of individuals, collecting information, and studying their genes. Additiionally, brain imaging is being conducted to gain a better understanding of how the brain works. We'll keep following these individuals over time to observe any changes that may occur.

What We Hope to Discover:
Our goal is to explore the connetion between our immune and metabolic systems and our mental well-being. By connecting the dots between genes, our environment, and how our bodies function, we aimto uncover new ways to enhance people's happiness and overall quality of life.

In a nutshell, our research is like solving a puzzle. We're dedicated to understanding how our genes, the environment, and our body's inner workings come together to create our unique stories and help us live our best lives.

DNA methylation patterns in blood samples are known to be influenced by a variety of exposures including lifestyle factors including smoking, alcohol consumption and diet. Although many of these exposures can be reasonably accurately assessed by self-report questionnaire, there are significant advantages to having objective measures of these exposures using biological samples over self-report which is known to be unreliable, especially for long-term exposures. We therefore propose to construct and validate an accurate DNA methylation-based model of long-term alcohol intake using data from a large number of cohort studies including ALSPAC.

Tinnitus is defined as a sound in the head or ears that occurs in the absence of any external acoustic source and while there is no single agreed-upon definition of tinnitus, it is estimated to affect between 5.1% to 42.7 % of the population, with a higher prevalence in men than women. Most people habituate to tinnitus, however, in some individuals it has a significant impact on their quality of life and causes debilitating problems such as depression, anxiety, frustration and insomnia. Current research suggests a strong association between tinnitus, psychiatric symptoms and psychological distress. Severe tinnitus can lead to distressing catastrophic thoughts, and although suicide is rare, suicidal thoughts are common amongst severe sufferers.

Tinnitus is also a common experience in children and prevalence rates are reported to be similar to the adult population. Insomnia, listening and attention difficulties are the main psychological factors associated with tinnitus in children. However, little is known about the psychological impact of tinnitus in children, yet emerging studies in this field have identified anxiety and depression as problematic emotional response to tinnitus. Furthermore, there has been limited research on how tinnitus manifests in children, and addressing this knowledge gap is crucial in understanding and predicting the relationship between tinnitus and psychological disorders presenting in adulthood, as children develop into adults with or without tinnitus. Therefore, there is a need for further studies to define the life course of tinnitus from childhood to adulthood in order to gain a better understanding of the role early tinnitus and psychological disorders play in the development of tinnitus severity and distress in to adulthood.

Religious and spiritual beliefs and behaviours (RSBB) may provide mechanisms by which people are able to cope with stress or provide a source of social and emotional support. Recent data supports that RSBB can have a positive influence on adults living with sensory impairment, both hearing and vision loss. For children, longitudinal data indicates that RSBB can support psychological adjustment. These data suggest that children in families with RSBB may be at lower risk of psychological disorders if they experience tinnitus.