THRIVE Research Centre

Description

The THRIVE Research Centre researches and evaluates the interaction between factors and mechanisms that influence human survival, flourishing, and transformation in the early years (first 1000 days) of life. Its unique contribution is its focus on positive outcomes across the life course, to discover what events in the early years are associated with human flourishing in later life. Members focus on maximising wellbeing and human flourishing; follow up over time and across generations; observation and analysis methods; multi-discipline approaches and the integration of data. Optimal maternal, infant, and child health is critical to longer term health and wellbeing for individuals, communities, and societies. It is increasingly evident that biological, psychological, emotional, interpersonal, nutritional and social milestones from conception onwards can influence the potential of individuals in the longer term and can even have an effect on several generations of a family. The time period from conception to an individual’s second birthday (‘first 1000’ days) is a crucial period of life that lays the foundations for optimal growth and development across a person’s lifespan.

Despite a rapid growth in research in this area, the focus has been mainly on pathology, with very little research that collects data on the salutogenic (the relationship between health, stress, and coping) end of the health continuum. It is not known which events and experiences might trigger social and individual wellbeing, resilience, positive human and environmental flourishing. Members know little about environmental compared to individual (e.g. genetic) factors and their interaction which promotes resilience. THRIVE research has the following key elements:

• Maximizing wellbeing and human flourishing
• Follow up over time, and across generations
• Methods that include observation and analysis of complex adaptive interactions between factors, systems, and mechanisms
• Multi- and trans-disciplinary approaches
• Integration of data at the micro (lab science), meso (application to people, families, society) and macro (policy) levels

The centre comprises six interrelated groups, as follows:

• Research in Childbirth and Health (ReaCH)
• Maternal and Infant Nutrition and Nurture (MAINN)
• Building blocks of wellbeing (psychology, bioscience, bioimaging)
• IMAGES: BIoMechanics And imaGing research for matErnal health and neonateS
• Place and Space: Healthy settings, social and community architecture, and environments
• Philosophy

Offers funding

No, this infrastructure does not provide funding.

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University affiliation(s)

University of Central Lancashire
Preston