About
Mark Hanson is Emeritus Professor of Human Development and Health and BHF Professor at the ºÚÁÏÉç, UK. He was a founder of the Fetal and Neonatal Physiological Society and the International DOHaD Society. He co-Chaired the FIGO Pregnancy and NCDs Committee and the Science and Evidence Working Group for the WHO Ending Childhood Obesity Commission. He chaired the Evidence and Accountability Working Group of the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health and also its Economics and Finance workstream (hosted by WHO). His research concerns development and health across the life-course, starting before conception and with an increasing focus on global health and equity. He pioneered LifeLab to promote health literacy in adolescents. He advocates developmental science to inform public health and economic policy.
Research
Research groups
Research interests
- Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD)
- Maternal and Child Health
- Developmental nutrition and epigenetic mechanisms
- Economic basis of lifelong health and ageing
- Evolutionary medicine
Current research
Mark Hanson's current international renown and influence is primarily due to his untiring work to raise recognition and understanding of the developmental origins (in fetal and early postnatal life) of adult health and disease, not only by the health science and care communities but also by public, policy makers and governments. His work extends from elucidating underlying mechanisms by which early life environment affects responses to later lifestyle and other challenges (the ‘mismatch’ concept), to cardiometabolic risk and mental health. He extends this to education, adolescent and preconception health and wellbeing, healthy ageing and global health. He argues for more inclusive economic models of lifelong health, especially for low-middle income countries, and for greater attention to equity and policy issues.
Research projects
Active projects
Completed projects
Publications
External roles and responsibilities
Biography
Mark A Hanson MA DPhil PGCE FRCOG(hon) FRCPCH(hon)
Hanson is an outstanding developmental cardiovascular physiologist with a sustained and influential scientific research career. He has advanced significantly our understanding of fetal and early child development and its part in setting the risk of later non-communicable disease, especially cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. This has led to important basic and clinical scientific discoveries, with implications for public and global health, and has contributed to novel interventions to improve health in both high and low income settings. He was the driving force behind the creation of a new field in biomedical science – the developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD) for which his name is synonymous internationally. Hanson has also made influential contributions to the public understanding of science, to the emergence of the new discipline of evolutionary medicine and to the application of his science to public health policy, both nationally and globally.
Hanson has taught a range of courses ranging from physiology to biology and medical students, reproductive health and development, global health and evolutionary biology and nutrition. He has supervised many postgraduate students to MSc and PhD over his career of over 45 years.
Prizes
- FIGO Distinguished Merit Award (2018)
- Honorary Fellowship (2017)
- Ilustrious Prefessor (2016)
- Rector's Medal (2016)
- De Snoo Medal (2015)
- Steno Rounds Medal (2015)
- Tokyo Society of Medical Sciences Shield (2015)
- Fellow of RCOG (1999)
- Fellow of RSM (1989)
- JRA mitchel Memorial Medal (2008)
- Paul Harris Fellow (2008)
- McCance Medal (2005)
- Highly Cited Researcher 2019 (2019)
- FIGO Distinguished Merit Award (2018)
- Honorary Fellowship (2017)
- Ilustrious Prefessor (2016)
- Rector's Medal (2016)
- De Snoo Medal (2015)
- Steno Rounds Medal (2015)
- Tokyo Society of Medical Sciences Shield (2015)
- Fellow of RCOG (1999)
- Fellow of RSM (1989)
- JRA mitchel Memorial Medal (2008)
- Paul Harris Fellow (2008)
- McCance Medal (2005)
- Highly Cited Researcher 2019 (2019)