Keith Godfrey

Prof Keith Godfrey’s research is characterising the optimal diet and body composition for women before and during pregnancy, to provide the offspring with the best start to life.

He has established that children's development and body composition, including their proportion of fat to lean tissue, is affected by the mother's diet and lifestyle before/during pregnancy, with long-term implications for health in later life mediated through epigenetic changes.

Keith's work has paved the way for intervention preconception aimed at the primary prevention of childhood obesity. Currently he is Co-Chair of the UK Preconception Partnership, working in partnership with the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities to improve life chances for the next generation of children.