Keith Godfrey, Professor of Epidemiology and Human Development at the University of Southampton, is a world leader in nutrition research before conception and during the first 1000 days of life. He has provided the first substantive human evidence that maternal nutrition and the developmental environment act through epigenetic mechanisms to induce altered phenotypes. This mechanistic understanding informed his development of major nutritional interventions to prevent childhood obesity. As Director of LifeLab, Professor Godfrey initiated an innovative science and nutrition/health literacy programme for over 10,000 teenagers, promoting healthy diet and lifestyle in preparation for future parenthood.