Life course frameworks recognise that human experience does not fit into neat, separate stages (childhood and school; adulthood and work/parenting; old age and retirement). Real lives are less predictable, particularly in settings of poverty and under-development, and involve complex transitions and trajectories. Life course frameworks also recognise that early life experiences can significantly influence what happens to us when we are older.

Research in DEV seeks to understand real-world life course dynamics, in order to identify key problems, as well as appropriate policies and interventions. Our work draws on and combines conceptual frameworks from epidemiology, sociology and other disciplines, and falls into the three key research areas.