Sir Peter Gluckman originally trained as a paediatrician with an interest in endocrinology. After a short stint as a doctor he followed a research route, both in New Zealand and in the US, at one point as Assistant Professor at the University of California in San Francisco. Back in New Zealand, he spent 17 years researching developmental endocrinology and neuroscience and in 1991 was appointed Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Auckland University. In 2001, Sir Peter set up the Liggins Institute to further determine how a poor start to life impacts on health throughout life. Knighted in 2015, he was appointed as Chief Science Advisor in 2009, and will step down from the role in the coming week.