We will achieve this mission by optimising musculoskeletal health (bone, muscle and joint) through the development and testing of lifestyle, behavioural and pharmacological interventions informed by our observational studies; and by using these findings to influence health policy.

Our specific aims are to:

• delineate the environmental influences, throughout the lifecourse, of age-related musculoskeletal (osteoporosis, osteoarthritis and sarcopenia) and metabolic disease;
• use our findings to develop and test population-based and targeted interventions to improve musculoskeletal and metabolic health throughout the lifecourse;
• maintain and develop the long-term cohorts/trials assembled in Southampton as national and international resources to explore the mechanisms underlying the developmental origins and later causes of musculoskeletal health and disease;
• inform health policy and promote training, research capacity development, knowledge transfer and public engagement in lifecourse epidemiology.