Dr Lucy Green BSc, PhD
Associate Professor in Developmental Physiology, Faculty Head of Engagement
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My work explores the cardiovascular, metabolic and organ growth adaptations made by the unborn baby in response to changes in the mothers nutrition, from before conception and throughout pregnancy.
It seems that it isn’t just about adult diet and lifestyle – your health may have been determined when you were just a twinkle in your mother’s eye
The adaptations by the fetus to mothers’ diet (e.g. deficiency in vitamin D, low calorific intake or an excess of dietary fat) set up the body's response to later life challenges, like unhealthy diet or stress. This can increase the risk of later ill-health, especially non-communicable disease (NCD), for example cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disease, and is a field known as Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD).
I am part of The Institute of Developmental Sciences which works closely with partners from across the University and Hospital, particularly the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit and NIHR Biomedical Research Centre, to discover mechanisms, develop interventions and translate work for the benefit of patients.
Key to counteracting the effects of a poor developmental start on NCD risk is raising awareness about the concepts of DOHaD with the public (especially parents-to-be), health professionals and policy makers. This is the focus of my work on the ‘Advocacy’ and ‘Communications’ subcommittees of the International Society for DOHaD Council (European Representative on Council, since 2015), as 2018 British Science Association Media Fellow (BBC Radio Science) and in science engagement and communication at the University of Southampton.
EDUCATION AND CAREER
Appointments held
BSc. Hons. (Physiology) King’s College London (1991)
Research Assistant, Cornell University, USA (1991-1992)
Ph.D., University College London (1996)
Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Western Ontario, Canada (1996-1998).
Lecturer, University College London, U.K. (1998-2000)
Lecturer – Associate Professor, University of Southampton, UK (from 2008)
