Professor Davey Smith is known internationally for revolutionising the use of genetic data to understand causal relationships in population health through the development and application of Mendelian randomisation.
His technique uses genetic variation to test the causal effects of modifiable risk factors on disease.
This method has transformed the field of epidemiology and underpins modern approaches to evidence-based prevention and policy.
Beginning in the late 1980s, his work has helped to resolve major debates, such as whether high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) or moderate drinking really protect against heart disease.
Profound impact
Professor Patrick Chinnery, Medical Research Council (MRC) Executive Chair, said:
Professor Davey Smith’s innovations have reshaped how we understand the mechanisms of common human diseases.
By combining genetic epidemiology with the principles of causal inference, he pioneered new methods to separate cause from effect in large-scale population studies, informing health policy and intervention strategies worldwide.
George has set a standard for transparency, collaboration and intellectual rigour across disciplines, from genomics to public health, and his work has had a profound impact on the way researchers design, analyse and interpret data way beyond his own field.
How our health is shaped
Alongside his methodological work, Professor Davey Smith has made major contributions to understanding health inequalities and how our health is shaped right across the courses of our lives.
Professor Davey Smith is the instigator of several innovative cohort studies based on following up data initially collected on participants from the 1920s onwards.
He is second principal investigator of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children.
He has led landmark studies showing how social, behavioural, and biological factors combine to influence health from childhood through adulthood to old age.
Professor Davey Smith has championed the idea of ‘triangulation,’ using different types of evidence together to get a clearer picture of cause and effect.
He has also been a strong advocate for making research data open and accessible to the wider scientific community.
Collective endeavor
Professor George Davey Smith said:
It’s a great honour to receive the MRC Millennium Medal.
I’ve had the good fortune to work with an amazing multidisciplinary and multinational group of colleagues over several decades, and the award reflects a collective endeavor to improve approaches to understand what causes disease at the individual and population level.
Over a career spanning four decades, Professor Davey Smith has pioneered ways of integrating genetic, social and environmental data to explore the determinants of health and inequality.
As Director of the MRC Integrative Epidemiology Unit at the University of Bristol, he built an internationally-recognised centre for causal inference research. He also trained a generation of scientists in rigorous population health methods.
Celebrating 25 years of the MRC Millennium Medal
Since its launch in 2000, the MRC Millennium Medal has been presented to 13 truly outstanding individuals whose work has shaped the future of medical research.
Several of these researchers have also gone on to receive a Nobel Prize and been listed in the New Years Honours List for scientific excellence in their field.
Professor Davey Smith will be presented with the MRC Millennium Medal at a ceremony next week.