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Children Growing Up in Liverpool is a new birth cohort following the lives of 10,000 Liverpool families from early pregnancy. The C-GULL study will help us understand more about the things that influence our health and wellbeing. This is important as we know there has been an increase in health inequalities and infant mortality in our region, as highlighted in research led by colleagues in the Department of Public Health and Policy. This is a stark reminder of the challenges we face and the importance of our work to our local community.
The C-GULL study will help us understand and address the many underlying health and social issues which drive these inequalities.
Researching child health and development from pregnancy is a powerful way of understanding the many things that can shape a child's life. We need to understand more about how each part of a child's life comes together to affect their health and wellbeing. For example, family, genes, the environment in which they live and the services they are able to access and use.
The study is led by Professor Louise Kenny and a team of investigators from the University of Liverpool. It will be delivered in partnership with Liverpool Women’s NHS Foundation Trust, The NIHR North West Coast Clinical Research Network and the Civic Data Cooperative (CDC), with additional support and partnership working from colleagues from Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, Liverpool City Council and many of our local partner NHS Trusts.
Who funds the study?
The C-GULL Study is funded through a Wellcome Trust Longitudinal and Population Study Award, targeted at providing support to researchers who want to establish, maintain or enhance Longitudinal Population Studies for the benefit of the wider scientific community.
Enhancement funding is provided by matched funding from the University of Liverpool. The civic-owned data resource is supported by the Civic Data Co-operative.
Mary De Silva, Head of Population Health at Wellcome - “We’re delighted to support what we see as the ‘next generation’ of cohort studies in the UK. With the involvement, trust and support of Liverpudlians, C-GULL will be linking detailed data about many aspects of the lives of children growing up in Liverpool with a wide range of routinely collected health, social and educational data.”
Wellcome exists to improve health by helping great ideas to thrive. It supports researchers, takes on big health challenges, campaigns for better science, and helps everyone get involved with science and health research. Wellcome is a politically and financially independent foundation.
Despite the region’s outstanding ability to pull together and look after each other we presently have no answers as to why our children get such a tough deal compared with others within the UK. C-GULL will help us understand and address the many underlying health and social issues which drive these inequalities and, most importantly, help us to improve the future for the next generation of children.
Professor Louise Kenny