About EpiGen
EpiGen is a Global Research Consortium of leading researchers based at five centres in three countries. EpiGen member organisations are:
- Liggins Institute, University of Auckland, represented in the consortium by Auckland UniServices
- MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Centre and National Institute for Health & Care Research Southampton Biomedical Research Centre, University of Southampton
- School of Human Development and Health, University of Southampton
- A*STAR Institute for Human Development and Potential (formally known as Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences)
- National University of Singapore, working in partnership with the National University Health System (NUHS)
EpiGen strives to advance understanding of the developmental and environmental processes that influence health through the lifecourse.
Since 2011, the EpiGen Global Research Consortium have examined how diet and lifestyle before and during pregnancy and during infancy and childhood influence the activity of our genes. They explore how these so-called epigenetic changes impact children’s growth and future health.
Our ultimate goal is to develop nutritional concepts and educational programmes which promote the health and well-being of parents and their children.
The partnership has provided key insight into the role of nutrition and other environmental factors on maternal and child health.
Source of funding
Public good funding for this investigator-led study comes from:
- UK Medical Research Council (as part of an MRC award to the MRC Lifecourse Epidemiology Unit (MC_UU_12011/4))
- Singapore National Research Foundation, National Medical Research Council (NMRC, NMRC/TCR/012-NUHS/2014)
- National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Agency of Science, Technology and Research (as part of the Growth, Development and Metabolism Programme of the Singapore Institute for Clinical Sciences (SICS) (H17/01/a0/005)
- as part of Gravida, a New Zealand Government Centre of Research Excellence
Funding for provision of the intervention and control drinks and to cover initial aspects of the fieldwork for the study was provided by Société Des Produits Nestlé S.A under a Research Agreement with the University of Southampton, Auckland UniServices Ltd, SICS, National University Hospital Singapore PTE Ltd and NUS.
