Mark Hanson

Emeritus Professor Mark Hanson is affiliated with the University of Southampton, holding the title of British Heart Foundation Professor in Human Development and Health. He is a founding member and past-President of the International DOHaD Society and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Colleges of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists and Paediatrics & Child Health. His research focuses on how early-life nutrition and developmental environments shape long-term health outcomes, integrating insights from evolutionary biology, developmental biology, and social sciences. He pioneered the LifeLab initiative to enhance health literacy among adolescents and advocates for evidence-based public health policies.

• Key Roles:
  • Chair of the WHO Partnership for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (Knowledge & Evidence WG)
  • Co-Chair of the FIGO Pregnancy and NCDs Committee
  • Former Chair of the British Heart Foundation

Professor Hanson’s research spans over 40 years, with a focus on developmental origins of health and disease (DOHaD), maternal nutrition, and epigenetic mechanisms. His work has influenced global health policies, including guidelines on preconception care and childhood obesity prevention. He has collaborated on numerous international projects, such as the EU-funded LifeCycle Project, which analyzes child health data across 250,000 individuals.

His awards include the FIGO Distinguished Merit Award (2018), the De Snoo Medal (2015), and being named a Highly Cited Researcher (2019). He actively reviews for journals like Environmental Epigenetics and Evolution, Medicine, and Public Health.

In education, he supervises PhD students, including Philip Titcombe, and promotes interdisciplinary approaches to health challenges. His advocacy extends to advocating for systemic changes in healthcare policy to prioritize early-life interventions.