Research on inequality: the long roots of childhood, informing policies, and generational change

20 Jun 2018
Public lecture

In this lecture Professor Alissa Goodman spoke about her research on inequalities, showing how both cross-sectional and longitudinal data are being used to illuminate and address some of the major social and policy questions of our time. A recording of this lecture is available to view on this page.

About the lecture

Alissa demonstrated how the UK’s birth cohort studies – which each track large numbers of individuals (typically around 17,000) from birth and throughout their lives – reveal the long roots of childhood experience on later life, and the importance of tackling childhood mental health problems. Alissa also explored how earlier adult life is influencing the decisions of a generation now approaching retirement age, and some of the striking generational changes occurring in our society, including in income, and mental health.

Watch the lecture

Speaker biography

Alissa Goodman Professor of Economics, Director of CLS and Co-Director of the Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study

Phone: 020 7612 6231
Email: alissa.goodman@ucl.ac.uk

Alissa Goodman is Professor of Economics, Director of the Centre for Longitudinal Studies, and Co-Director of the Early Life Cohort Feasibility Study, a project funded by ESRC to test the feasibility of a new birth cohort for the UK. She is a Co-Investigator on two further new national cohort projects, Children of the 2020s and the COVID Social Mobility & Opportunities Study. Alissa joined CLS in 2013 as PI of the 1958 National Child Development Study, having previously worked at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, where she served as its Deputy Director (2006-2012), and Director of its Education and Skills research sector.

Alissa’s main research interests relate to inequality, poverty, education policy, and the intergenerational transmission of health and wellbeing. Alissa was awarded a CBE for services to social science in 2021.

Contact our Communications Team

Event enquiries

Richard Steele
Events and Marketing Officer

Phone: 020 7911 5320
Email: ioe.clsevents@ucl.ac.uk

Contact us

Centre for Longitudinal Studies
UCL Social Research Institute

20 Bedford Way
London WC1H 0AL

Email: clsdata@ucl.ac.uk

Follow us