Professor Kate Robson-Brown, Director of the Jean Golding Institute, talks about the legacy of Professor Jean Golding - a leading epidemiologist and founder of the ‘Children of the 90s’ study:
<p>"Jean began her career reading Mathematics at Oxford University at a time when women were outnumbered ten to one by men.  She developed a keen interest in epidemiology (the study of health in a population) and went on to do a PhD in Medical Statistics at University College London.   
</p><p>"Jean started working here in 1980 and founded the now world-famous Children of 90s study (also known as ALSPAC) in 1989. It has been charting the health and wellbeing of 14,500 mothers and their children since the early 1990s. Almost 30 years later, the three-generation cohort is truly international and their data has given the world a wealth of practical wisdom that millions of people now put into practice every day.   
</p><p>"Jean was Scientific and Executive Director of the study from its inception until 2005. To date, she has published over 350 peer-reviewed papers, covering a range of factors associated with pregnancy, childhood and parenthood. 
</p><p>"Jean remains an active and valuable member of the University community. Her pioneering spirit has shown us where ambitious thinking can lead, how bridging traditional discipline boundaries can generate huge value, and how diversity and accessibility should be core features of our workforce.  
</p><p>"We are proud to recognise her achievements through the work of the Institute which carries her name. Bringing together experts from across the University and external partners, we are exploring data-driven solutions to societal challenges – an entirely appropriate legacy for a research legend whose impact cannot be underestimated, both within the NHS and internationally."
</p><p>Portrait by Jessica Augarde Photography.
</p>
Photo of Jean Golding reproduced with the kind permission of Bristol City Council.
University of Bristol
CC BY-SA 2.0
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