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CLOSER, the home of longitudinal research, brings together world-leading longitudinal studies with participants born throughout the 20th and 21st centuries.
Interim Director: Professor Emla Fitzsimons
Our mission is to increase the visibility, use and impact of longitudinal population studies, data and research.
About us
- How CLOSER is making a difference
CLOSER, the home of longitudinal research, is the interdisciplinary partnership of leading social and biomedical longitudinal population studies, the UK Data Service and The British Library.
Our mission is to increase the visibility, use and impact of longitudinal population studies, data and research to ensure that longitudinal evidence is used to address the health, social, economic and environmental challenges facing the UK, now and in the future.
Our work focuses on four primary areas:
Data discoverability
We increase the use, visibility, and awareness of longitudinal population study data through advancing and expanding both the content contained in, and the research services provided by, CLOSER Discovery.
Policy and Dialogue
We mobilise data and research from multiple longitudinal population studies, provide evidence and insights to policy and decision makers, and generate demonstrable impact across a range of policy areas.
Training and capacity building
We provide training and capacity building opportunities for researchers and those running longitudinal population studies, with a particular focus on filling gaps in current provision.
Legacy
We ensure the long-term value of our extensive work on data harmonisation and data linkage through knowledge dissemination and training.
- Our staff
CLOSER is run by a group of researchers and professionals based at leading academic institutions and data management centres.
Centre staff
- Emla Fitzsimons, Interim Director
- Jennifer Blows, Digital Communications and Events Manager
- Rob Davies, Public Affairs Manager and Head of CLOSER COVID-19 Taskforce
- Jon Johnson, Technical Lead
- Neil Kaye, Research Fellow
- Jenny Li, Metadata and Data Manager
- Harry Moss, Research Associate
- Hayley Mills, Metadata Manager
- Alice Barnett, Adminstrator
- Suparna De, Honorary Senior Research Fellow
- Jack Norcross, Metadata Assistant
- Bill Norley, Proragmmer
- Jonathan Tebbett, Project Manager
- Becky Oldroyd, Metadata Officer
- Cynthia Onwordi, Communications Project Manager
- Aidan Riley, Project Officer
Executive
- Michaela Benzeval, Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Essex
- Emla Fitzsimons, Social Research Institute
- Rebecca Hardy, Social Research Institute
- Hazel Inskip, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton
- Lynn Molloy, Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children
- Allan Sudlow, British Library
Scientific Leadership team
- Janis Baird, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton
- Michaela Benzeval, Institute for Social & Economic Research, University of Essex
- Andrew Boyd, University of Bristol
- Lisa Calderwood, Social Research Institute
- Nishi Chaturvedi, MRC Unit for Lifelong Health and Ageing, UCL
- Cyrus Cooper, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton
- Louise Corti, UK Data Service
- Elaine Dennison, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton
- Emla Fitzsimons, Social Research Institute
- Alissa Goodman, Social Research Institute
- Rebecca Hardy, Social Research Institute
- Hazel Inskip, MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit, University of Southampton
- Lynn Molloy, University of Bristol
- Amanda Sacker, Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care
- Allan Sudlow, British Library
- Alice Sullivan, Social Research Institute
- Our partners
There are currently 19 studies participating in the CLOSER network, with participants born as early as the 1930s to the present day. The British Library and the UK Data Service are also key partners, and the Social Research Institute is the lead research institution.
Activities
- CLOSER studies
- 1946 MRC National Survey of Health and Development
- 1958 National Child Development Study
- 1970 British Cohort Study
- Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (Children of the 90s)
- Born in Bradford
- English Longitudinal Study of Ageing
- Generation Scotland
- Growing Up in Scotland
- Health and Employment After Fifty
- Hertfordshire Cohort Study
- Longitudinal Survey of Young People in England: Cohort 2 (Our Future Study)
- Millennium Cohort Study (Child of the New Century)
- Next Steps
- Northern Ireland Cohort for the Longitudinal Study of Ageing
- ONS Longitudinal Study
- Southampton Women’s Survey
- Understanding Society: The UK Household Longitudinal Study
- Whitehall II (The Stress and Health Study)
- Wirral Child Health and Development Study (The First Steps Study)
- Our research
Research features
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