Lucilla Poston

Lucilla Poston

Professor

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Personal profile

Research interests

Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

The nutritional ‘environment’ in utero is now recognised to influence the risk of cardiovascular and metabolic disease in the offspring. One focus of Lucilla Poston's research is to define the consequences of obesity in pregnant women and of sub-optimal maternal nutrition on the developing fetus. Her laboratory was amongst the first to develop animal models demonstrating that the offspring of obese rodents develop a predisposition to obesity, hypertension and insulin resistance at a young age. These also suggested that endocrine influences on the developing hypothalamus may permanently affect function, including central pathways influencing satiety and blood pressure control. In the clinic, Lucilla’s  team developed a complex lifestyle intervention for pregnant women living with obesity, the UPBEAT study. Studies by her team in UPBEAT women who developed Gestational Diabetes (GDM) have provided insight into metabolic dysfunction of this increasingly common disorder. UPBEAT continues with investigations of cardiometabolic outcomes in the UPBEAT children. Recently Lucilla’s team have developed a longitudinal maternal child cohort (eLIXIR, Born in South London) using linkage of routine electronic health records, one of the MRC's Longitudinal Populations Cohorts. This linkage is facilitating the study of the early origins of disease at a population level.

 

Research interests (short)

Pregnancy, obesity, gestational diabetes, nutrition, pre-eclampsia, Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, data linkage, maternal-child cohort

Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals

In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):

  • SDG 2 - Zero Hunger
  • SDG 3 - Good Health and Well-being
  • SDG 5 - Gender Equality
  • SDG 9 - Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
  • SDG 10 - Reduced Inequalities
  • SDG 14 - Life Below Water
  • SDG 15 - Life on Land
  • SDG 16 - Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions
  • SDG 17 - Partnerships for the Goals

Education/Academic qualification

Doctor of Philosophy, University of London

Award Date: 1 Jan 1982

Bachelor of Science, University of London

Award Date: 1 Jan 1975

External positions

Member Africa Research Leadership Panel, MRC Medical Research Council

2024 → …

Member Research Committee, Diabetes UK

2022 → …

Member Applied Global Health Research Board, MRC Medical Research Council

20202023

Member, Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)

2018 → …

Member Career Development Award Panel, Wellcome Trust

20182024

President, International Society for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease

2017 → …

Member Population Systems and Medicine Board (PSMB), MRC Medical Research Council

20132017

Keywords

  • QP Physiology
  • Pre-eclampsia, obesity in pregnancy
  • RG Gynecology and obstetrics
  • Developmental origins of disease

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