Australasian Longitudinal Leaders Forum (ALLF)

Stronger together

The overarching goal of the Australasian Longitudinal Leaders Forum (ALLF) is:

To promote a shared infrastructure to support access to multiple cohort studies contemporaneously to ask important research questions to understand how to drive improvements in population health and wellbeing.

Background rationale

Longitudinal cohort studies collect information about the health and wellbeing of individuals over time, as well as capturing the contexts and the environments they are exposed to over time. With the recruitment and retention of an appropriate group of individuals, calibrated to a particular population of interest, the rich information these studies provide can provide a unique perspective on what shapes health and wellbeing across the life course and in particular what works to allow individuals to thrive and achieve their full potential.

However birth cohort studies are expensive to establish and maintain, they usually follow a relatively small number of participants (linked to the expense) compared to the large administrative datasets, and the significant value of each cohorts data collection can only be realised after significant investment and time has elapsed (often referred to as the “longitudinal lag”). Each cohort has its own conceptual framework guiding its data collection; it will collect data at specific points in time (cohort effect) and information is obtained within a demographic and societal context. These parameters may limit the generalisability of findings from individual cohort studies.

ALLF aspires to help create a co-ordinated cohort resource including:

Building a trusted community of longitudinal cohort leaders (Australasia initially)
Build social license with communities and participants to enable data asset sharing and utlisation
Learning from UK/European processes to undertake similar tasks (PRUK and ESRI)
Develop the trust and structures to create a co-ordinated infrastructure
Create virtual access to multiple cohorts with different conceptual frameworks and societal contexts (via a “one-stop-shop)
Enable linkage to appropriate administrative datasets (to address generalisability)
Address multiple life course relevant research questions to multiple cohorts to ascertain what works for who, when, where and how

Advantages

Efficiency and better use of existing cohort datasets
Reduced longitudinal lag and need for new cohorts to be established
Finding out what works across multiple contexts
Applying information to societal and demographic context

ALLF has met several times over the past two years, hosted by INSIGHT@UTS and led by Professor Susan Morton. We have been liaising with the ARDC/HeSANDA to support their efforts to create a shared infrastructure to bring cohorts together across 2025.

Current Members (ALLF)

Note – we began this process working with cohort leaders of studies across Australasia that started around the time of birth with a view to expand across the life course over time (we have added study leaders from across the lifecourse throughout 2025)

Professor Susan Morton (INSIGHT@UTS) – Director, INSIGHT and Foundation Director of Growing Up in New Zealand (NSW)
Professor Meredith O’Connor and Professor Criag Olssen (VIC, MCRI/Lifecourse Platform)
Professor Romola Bucks - RAINE Study (WA)
Professor Catherine Andersson and Dr Sean Martin (AIFS – LSAC and LSIC) – Australia wide
Professor Craig Pennell and Dr Tegan Grace (Newcastle 100 Babies)
Professor Melissa Wake (GenV and MCRI)
Professor Desiree Silva and Dr Jackie Davis (WA – Origins)
Professor Ben Edwards (ANU/ADA)
Professor Rebecca Glauert (CE PHRN)
Dr Matthew Gorringe (SAX Institute)
Professor Alan James (WA – Busselton Cohort)
Professor Sarah-Jane Paine – New Zealand (GUiNZ)