Professor Mark Vickers is Deputy Director at the Liggins Institute, University of Auckland. The Liggins Institute’s vision is 'a healthy start for a healthy life' and their mission is to improve lifelong health through excellent research into the long-term consequences of early life events. Professor Vickers own research focus is on the impact of alterations in the early life nutritional environment on later health and wellbeing of offspring with a particular focus on the development of obesity and metabolic disorders. He will present a brief background to the Liggins Institute and some insights from his own research around the impact of altered early life nutrition on health across the life course.