The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children: An international resource for population genomics and lifecourse epidemiology. Core Programme Support 2011-2015 and Core programme support 2014-2019

For over two decades, the Children of the 90s study has tracked the health of 14,500 parents and children from before birth into adulthood, and is now enrolling their children—the third generation. This matters because most long-term health studies lack the depth and duration needed to untangle how genes, environment, and lifestyle interact across generations. ALSPAC holds uniquely detailed data on participants from pregnancy onward, allowing researchers to study how conditions like asthma, obesity, or mental health develop over time and whether they are passed to the next generation. It also enables work in epigenomics—how environmental factors can alter gene activity without changing the DNA sequence itself. If the study continues successfully, it will remain an open, sustainable resource for researchers worldwide. The data can reveal critical windows of development, identify early-life risk factors for chronic disease, and show how social and environmental exposures—such as smoking, housing, or occupation—shape health across decades. This is fundamental population science. Past findings from ALSPAC have already influenced public health guidance on diet, pollution, and prenatal care. Continued support will allow similar insights to emerge for the next generation.