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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.
Data innovations
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, Head of Policy and Dialogue
- Jon Johnson, Technical Lead
- Neil Kaye, Research Fellow
- Jenny Li, Metadata and Data Manager
- Harry Moss, Research Associate
- Hayley Mills, Metadata Manager
- Suparna De, Honorary Senior Research Fellow
- Jack Norcross, Metadata Assistant
- Bill Norley, Proragmmer
- Jonathan Tebbett, Project Manager
- Becky Oldroyd, Metadata Officer
- Aidan Riley, Project Officer
Executive group
- Darren Bell - UK Data Service
- Jackie Carter - University of Manchester
- Emla Fitzsimons - University College London
- Faten Hussein - UK Parliament
- Rachel Kotarski - British Library
- Rosie McEachan - Born in Bradford, Bradford Institute for Health Research
Advisory committee
- Nathan Cunningham - University of Sheffield
- Bobby Duffy - King's College London
- Harry Evans- NHS England
- Emla Fitzsimons- University College London
- Vernon Gayle- University of Edinburgh
- Grant Hill-Cawthorne- Parliamentary Office of Science and Technology
- Deborah Wilson- University of Bristol
- 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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