Dr Meredith O’Connor is a Principal Research Fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute and Director of the LifeCourse Cohort Explorer. She leads an integrated program of research and national infrastructure focused on advancing longitudinal cohort science to improve life span population health. Her work centres on early‑life prevention and mental health, with a strong emphasis on harnessing cohort data to generate policy‑relevant evidence. Meredith provides scientific leadership in the development of data platforms that enhance the discovery, access, and responsible reuse of longitudinal data, and works closely with national partners to strengthen Australia’s research capacity and maximise the impact of cohort investments.