The Centre was the predecessor of Equalise: ESRC Centre for Lifecourse Health Equity. Focusing on actionable evidence-based solutions towards health equity, this new Centre is led by Co-Directors Professor Yvonne Kelly and Professor Anne McMunn.
Find out more about our current work with Equalise.
Research
Pioneering lifecourse health research, our work combined social science and biology techniques to identify points throughout the lifecourse where targeted support would help improve people's lives.
The International Centre for Lifecourse Studies (ICLS) has had a profound impact on policy, practice, and public understanding of health and social inequalities.
- Evidence from projects on young carers informed parliamentary inquiries and led to calls for reform of Carers Allowance and the development of a National Carers Strategy.
- Research on physical punishment of children directly contributed to Scotland and Wales banning smacking and continues to shape legislative debates in England and Northern Ireland.
- Research on chronic conditions and maternal health has supported public health campaigns.
- Findings on adverse childhood experiences, social media use, and mental health have driven government strategies, parliamentary recommendations, and public health campaigns, while work on employment and wellbeing has shaped UK and EU policies on job quality and workplace standards.
- International collaborations, and collaborations with government departments, charities, and third-sector organizations, expanded the Centre’s reach.
The ESRC’s decision to fund Equalise, the new Centre for Lifecourse Health Equity, is proof of ICLS’s success and its pivotal role in tackling health inequalities through evidence-based policy and practice.
The Lifecourse Podcast
The Lifecourse Podcast is a series of audio interviews about research that is addressing major policy issues around our health and well-being and our family and work circumstances. Listen on Spotify.
People
The Centre's multidisciplinary team included leading epidemiologists, sociologists, biologists, statisticians, psychologists, clinical scientists and demographers.
Its Director was Professor Yvonne Kelly and its Deputy Director Professor Anne McMunn. Professor Amanda Sacker monitored the Centre's impact.
Resources
The Centre produced a range of resources which are available to download: ESRC International Centre For Lifecourse Studies in Society and Health resources