Registered Charity
About us
Who we are
About Adolescent Health Study
The Adolescent Health Study (AHS) (Registered Charity Number 1213337) is an ambitious new UKRI-funded initiative to establish a prospective, longitudinal population study that will generate a globally leading open science data platform and research resource. AHS aims to recruit at least 100,000 young people aged eight to 18 years from across the UK and to follow their mental and physical health and wellbeing over at least 10 years. It plans to collect data through questions and measures; to obtain bio-samples for a wide range of genomic and other high-throughput assays; and to capture linked data relevant to health and wellbeing from participants’ health, education and other administrative records.
There will be a strong emphasis on engaging with and involving young people, schools, parents and other relevant stakeholders in the design and delivery of the study, as well as on including young people that represent as wide as possible a range of backgrounds, experiences and characteristics. AHS will focus on enabling a wide range of research, including studies of the critical biological and social developments that occur during the transition from childhood to adulthood and the determinants of both mental and physical health and wellbeing in adolescents and young adults.
The scope and what we're doing
The UK has a world-leading portfolio of longitudinal population-based studies, however there is a critical gap during adolescence, where we do not have large-scale studies.
This project arose from a research community need for infrastructure to support studies on adolescence and it is designed to include representation from the full range of socioeconomic and ethnic groups.
The AHS will address this need and will enable research to understand the health and developmental trajectories of adolescents in the 2020s.
AHS will be a longitudinal population study and data platform and expects to recruit 100,000 participants aged eight to 18 years old from 2026.
The study is expected to use an accelerated design, where all age groups are recruited simultaneously, to allow the different transitions occurring during adolescence to be studied in a rapid timeframe.
Recruitment will largely take place through schools and the study will be co-designed with young people and other key stakeholders.
The two phases of the AHS design are:
- An initial two-year phase of engagement work to optimise recruitment and retention strategies and an internal pilot to test and improve study processes.
- A subsequent 10-year phase to recruit all remaining participants and study their development.
Our culture and values
It is an exciting time for the Adolescent Health Study (AHS) as we establish our senior leadership team and begin to plan the pilot studies. As the senior executive team evolves, the AHS values will be grounded in inclusivity, integrity, accountability, and collaboration.
Equality, diversity and inclusion policy
Equal Opportunities Policy Statement
AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. AHS is an equal opportunities employer, and as such aims to treat all employees, consultants and applicants fairly. It is our policy to provide employment equality to all, irrespective of age, disability, gender identity or expression, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, or sexual orientation.
Beyond these protected characteristics, we acknowledge the importance of socio-economic background, childcare and caring responsibilities, educational background, neurodiversity, and any other factors that shape an individual’s identity and opportunities. We strive to create an environment where all colleagues feel valued, supported, and able to contribute fully.
