UCL DEPARTMENT OF EPIDEMIOLOGY AND PUBLIC HEALTH
HEALTH BEHAVIOUR RESEARCH CENTRE
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DR CLARE LLEWELLYN
Research Associate

EXPERTISE
Health psychology; childhood obesity; appetite regulation and eating behaviour; behaviour genetics; family designs; epidemiology.

RESEARCH
Research interests

Gene-environment interactions in childhood obesity, with a focus on appetite regulation and eating behaviour. More recently I am interested in understanding the neurobiological endophenotypes that mediate genetic susceptibility to obesity.

Current research
I use data from two longitudinal twin studies to explore genetic and environmental contributions to the development of appetite regulation and weight from birth through to late adolescence:

Gemini Study: A population-based birth cohort of 2402 British families with twins born in 2007, aimed at identifying genetic and environmental contributions to early life growth, with a focus on the family environment.

Twins Early Development Study (TEDS): A large population-based cohort of >10,000 British families with twins born between 1994 and 1996, with a focus on gene-environment interactions in development.

BIOGRAPHY
Qualifications


2011 Chartered Psychologist, British Psychological Society

2011 PhD in Health Psychology, University College London

2007 MSc in Health Psychology (Distinction), University College London

2006 GDip in Psychology (Distinction), London Metropolitan University

2000 BA Hons (2.1) / MA Oxon, Pembroke College Oxford

Professional Memberships

British Psychological Society

Association for the Study of Obesity

Royal Society of Medicine

British Neuroscience Association

Behaviour Genetics Association

Appointments

2010-present: Research Associate, University College London

2001-2005: GlaxoSmithKline UK Pharmaceuticals, Commercial Management Scheme

Studentships and awards

European Association for the Study of Obesity: Young Investigator Award (May 2012)

UK Association for the Study of Obesity: Young Achiever Award 2011 (June 2011)

European Association for the Study of Obesity: Best poster award at the European Congress on Obesity (May 2011)

Volkswagen Stiftung Research Fund Award: Dresden Spring School, 'From vulnerability to resilience - molecular genetic perspectives' (March 2010)

Medical Research Council (MRC) & Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC): Interdisciplinary PhD Studentship: 3 years (October 2007-2010)

Medical Research Council Advanced Masters Studentship: 1 year (September 2006-2007)

PUBLICATIONS
Published peer-reviewed papers:

Fisher A, van Jaarsveld CHM, Llewellyn CH, Fildes A, Wardle J. Nature and nurture in infant sleep. Pediatrics. DOI: 10.1542/peds.2008-1536.

Llewellyn CH, van Jaarsveld CHM, Fisher A, Plomin R, & Wardle J. (2012). Inherited behavioral susceptibility to adiposity in infancy: a multivariate genetic analysis of appetite and weight in the Gemini birth cohort. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 95, 1-7.

van Jaarsveld CHM, Llewellyn CH, Fildes A, Fisher A, & Wardle J. (2012). Are my twins identical? Parents may be misinformed by prenatal scan observations. British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. DOI: 10.1111/j.1471-0528.2012.03281.x.

van Jaarsveld CHM, Llewellyn CH, Johnson L, & Wardle J. (2011). Prospective associations between appetitive traits and weight gain in infants. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 94, 1562-7.

Llewellyn CH, van Jaarsveld CHM, Johnson L, Carnell S and Wardle J. (2011). Development and factor structure of the Baby Eating Behaviour Questionnaire. Appetite, 57, 388-96.

Johnson L, Llewellyn CH, van Jaarsveld CHM, Cole T and Wardle J. (2011). Genetic and environmental influences on infant growth: prospective analysis of the Gemini twin birth cohort. PLoS ONE, 6, e19918.

Llewellyn CH, van Jaarsveld CHM, Johnson L, Carnell S and Wardle J. (2010). Nature and nurture in infant appetite: a twin analysis. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 91, 1172-1179.

Fisher A, van Jaarsveld CHM, Llewellyn CH and Wardle J. (2010). Environmental influences on children's physical activity: quantitative estimates using a genetically-sensitive design. PloS ONE, 5, e10110.

van Jaarsveld CHM, Johnson L, Llewellyn CH and Wardle J. (2010). Gemini: a UK twin birth cohort with a focus on early childhood weight trajectories, appetite and the family environment. Twin Research and Human Genetics, 13, 72-78.

Wardle J, Llewellyn CH, Sanderson S and Plomin R. (2009). The FTO gene and measured food intake in children. International Journal of Obesity, 33: 42-5.

Hill C, Llewellyn CH, Saxton J, Webber L, Semmler C, Carnell S, van Jaarsveld CHM, Boniface D and Wardle J. (2008). Adiposity and 'eating in the absence of hunger' in children. International Journal of Obesity, 32: 1499-1505.

Llewellyn CH, van Jaarsveld CHM, Boniface D, Carnell S and Wardle J. (2008). Eating rate is a heritable phenotype related to weight in children. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 88: 1560-1566.

Peer-reviewed papers under review:

Fisher A, van Jaarsveld CHM, Llewellyn CH, Fildes A, Wardle J. Genetic and environmental influences on developmental milestones and physical activity in early life. Under review with Child Development.

Van Jaarsveld CHM, Llewellyn CH and Wardle J. Validity and reliability of zygosity classification in infant twins by a parent-completed questionnaire. Under review with Behavior Genetics.

Book chapters:

Llewellyn CH and Wardle J. Satiation and satiety in obesity. (2012). In (Eds) J. Blundell & F. Bellisle. Satiation, Satiety and the Control of Food Intake. Woodhead Publishing Ltd.

Llewellyn CH and Wardle J. Food intake and appetite regulation. (2012). In (Eds) C. Hankey & G. Frost. Diet and Nutrition in Obesity. Wiley Blackwell.

Llewellyn CH, Carnell S, Wardle J. Eating Behaviour and Weight in Children. (2011). In (Eds) L Moreno, I Pigeot, W Ahrens. Epidemiology of Obesity in Children and Adolescents (Book I of II) - Prevalence and Aetiology. Springer series; New York

Conference presentations and invited talks
Conferences:

Llewellyn CH, van Jaarsveld, C.H.M., Fisher, A., Plomin, R., & Wardle, J. Inherited behavioural susceptibility to adiposity in infancy: a multivariate genetic analysis of appetite and weight in the Gemini birth cohort. Oral presentation at the European Congress on Obesity, Lyon, France, May 2012.

Fildes A, Llewellyn CH, Fisher A, van Jaarsveld CHM and Wardle J. Parental feeding styles in early infancy: are they shaped by maternal or child characteristics? Oral presentation at The Obesity Society, Florida, United States, October 2011.

Fisher A, Llewellyn CH, van Jaarsveld CHM, Fildes A and Wardle J. Sleep and weight in infancy. Poster presentation at The Obesity Society, Florida, United States, October 2011.

van Jaarsveld CHM, Llewellyn CH, Johnson L, and Wardle J. Associations between appetite and weight in infants. Poster at the European Congress on Obesity, Istanbul, Turkey, May 2011.

Llewellyn CH, van Jaarsveld CHM and Wardle J. Genetic influences on appetite over the developmental years. Poster at The Obesity Society, San Diego, United States, in October 2010.

Llewellyn CH, van Jaarsveld CHM and Wardle J. Nature and nurture in infant appetite. Oral presentation at the International Congress on Obesity, Stockholm, Sweden, July 2010.

Wardle J, Llewellyn CH, Sanderson S and Plomin R. The FTO gene and measured food intake in children. Poster at the Dresden Spring School ('From vulnerability to resilience: Molecular genetic perspectives'), Dresden, Germany, March 2010.

Llewellyn CH, van Jaarsveld CHM, Boniface D, Carnell S, and Wardle J. Eating rate is a heritable phenotype related to weight in children. Oral presentation at the European Congress on Obesity, Geneva, Switzerland, May 2008.

Invited talks:

Llewellyn CH. 'Genetic susceptibility to the 'obesogenic' food environment'. Invited talk at the forthcoming American Dietetic Association conference, Philadelphia, United States, October 2012.

Llewellyn CH. 'Appetite regulation in infancy and childhood'. Invited talk at the forthcoming National Feeding Team Annual Conference, Oslo University Hospital, Oslo, Norway, June 2012.

Llewellyn CH. "My parents are big, it runs in the family": inherited behavioural susceptibility to obesity. Invited talk for the Young Investigator Award at the European Congress on Obesity, Lyon, France, May 2012.

Llewellyn CH. 'Eating behaviour and obesity in children'. Invited talk at 'Tackling obesity in children and young people: theory and practice', a workshop at the Whittington Hospital NHS Trust, London, April 2012.

Llewellyn CH. '"My parents are big, it runs in the family": inherited behavioural susceptibility to obesity'. Invited talk at The Science of Obesity conference organised by the charity Weight Concern, London, September 2011.

Llewellyn CH. 'Gene-environment interactions in infant appetite'. Invited talk for the Young Achiever Award 2011 at the Association for the Study of Obesity conference 'Marketing to children: implications for obesity', London, June 2011.

Llewellyn CH and Wardle J. 'Genetic influences on eating behaviours in children'. Invited talk at the British Psychological Society Division of Developmental Psychology Annual Conference, Nottingham, UK, September 2009.

Llewellyn CH and Wardle J. 'Nature and nurture in infant and child appetite'. Invited talk at the Benjamin Franklin Lafayette Seminar Series, Frejus, France, July 2009.

This page last modified 22 June, 2012 by Mark Livermore

Clare Llewellyn
CONTACT DETAILS
Telephone:

+44 (0)20 7679 1263
Internal: x41263
Fax:
+44 (0)20 7679 8354
Email: c.llewellyn@ucl.ac.uk

Postal address:
Health Behaviour Research Centre, Department of Epidemiology & Public Health,
UCL, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, UK

Office: Room 210,
1-19 Torrington Place,
WC1E 7HB

University College London- Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT - Telephone: +44 (0)20 7679 1720 - © 2012 UCL


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