Nutrition, Lifestyle and Metabolism
Lead: Prof Keith Godfrey
Co-lead: Prof Jonathan Swann
You can find out more about our team here.
A healthy diet, lifestyle and metabolism give people greater resilience to illness and injury, meaning they are less likely to get diseases related to an unhealthy lifestyle and tend to recover faster when injured.
We are looking at how intervening at key stages in people’s life – such as when they are considering becoming parents, pregnancy and early childhood, and adulthood – could help them change their habits so they and their children can live a healthier life.


What we are tackling – research questions
Led by
Prof Sandy Jack
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Our impact
We have transformed understanding of early life influences on non-transmissible diseases like diabetes and targeted them to improve health in later life. Our research has driven better care, new guidelines, training and advocacy for Metabolic (dysfunction) Associated Fatty Liver Disease (MAFLD). We have also led new approaches to preventing weakening of bones (osteoporosis) and muscles (sarcopenia), changing UK and global health policy.
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Our online learning tools are used by healthcare professionals in over 17 countries to drive healthier early life nutrition.
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We are equipping the next generation of parents to understand the health impacts of their choices for them and their future children. Our LifeLab teaching laboratory and online resources have engaged over 11,500 students from 66 schools.
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Our research directly informed the 2017 World Health Organisation Commission on Ending Childhood Obesity and 2018 Nurturing Care Framework.
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We have developed new breath-test diagnostics of liver function that measure a type of carbon (13C). Studies detected reduced handling of nutrients in MAFLD with results providing the basis for developing rapid, non-invasive diagnostics, published in 2021.
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We supported the development of a second-generation global standard for fracture risk assessment (FRAX). We have also championed the clinical- and cost-effectiveness of Fracture Liaison Services (FLS). This global standard of care has led to over 400 registered FLS across 46 countries.
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We were first to show a link between pregnant mothers’ vitamin D status and their babies’ bone mass. Our results informed recommendations that are now reflected in Public Health England maternal vitamin D guidance. Read more
Our people
Meet key individuals leading and enabling Nutrition, lifestyle and metabolism research in Southampton.

Prof Keith Godfrey
Professor of Epidemiology and Human Development

Prof Jon Dorling
Consultant Neonatologist

Prof Nicholas Harvey
Professor of Rheumatology and Clinical Epidemiology

Dr Cornelia Blume
Lecturer in Functional Genomics

Prof Janis Baird
Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology

Prof Nick Curzen
Consultant Cardiologist

Prof Jonathan Swann
Professor of Biomolecular Medicine

Dr Mark Johnson
Consultant Neonatologist / Trainining Lead Nutrition

Prof Rohan Lewis
Professor of Placental and Integrative Physiology

Prof Philip Calder
Professor of Nutritional Immunology

Prof R Mark Beattie
Consultant Paediatric Gastroenterologist

Prof Ying Cheong
Professor of Reproductive Medicine

Prof Cyrus Cooper
Professor of Rheumatology

Prof Karen Lillycrop
Professor of Epigenetics

Prof Julia Sinclair
Professor of Addiction Psychiatry

Dr Luise Marino
Clinical Academic Paediatric Dietitian

Prof Mark Hanson
Emeritus Professor of Human Development and Health

Prof Shane Norris
Professor in Global Health

Prof Elaine Dennison
Professor of Musculoskeletal Epidemiology

Dr Harnish Patel
Consultant Physician, Medicine for Older People

Prof Richard Oreffo
Professor of Musculoskeletal Science

Prof Helen Roberts
Professor of Medicine for Older People

Dr Kathryn Woods- Townsend
LifeLab Programme Manager

Prof Kate Ward
Professor of Global Musculoskeletal Health

Prof Jacek Brodzki
Professor of Pure Mathematics

Prof Peter Smith
Director, Institute for Life Sciences

Prof Richard Holt
Professor in Diabetes and Endocrinology

Prof Christopher Byrne
Professor of Endocrinology and Metabolism

Dr Nisreen Alwan
Professor of Public Health

Prof Paul Skipp
Professor of Proteomics

Dr Sunhea Choi
Associate Professor in eLearning

Mr James Byrne
Consultant Surgeon