The Advisory Group is comprised of New Zealand and international experts in child development, health and longitudinal research, and provides strategic advice on longitudinal study design and policy-relevant outcomes to the GUiNZ research team. Professor Camargo is a founding member of the group, providing expertise in a number of scientific areas relevant to the study.

"The Growing Up in New Zealand study is a national resource," says Professor Camargo. "I look forward to working closely with both the Auckland-based research team and the Expert Scientific Advisory Group on achieving the many important study objectives."

Dr Camargo is Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Professor of Epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health and the Conn Chair in Emergency Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital. He holds an international reputation in respiratory/allergy emergencies, health services research in emergency care, and several other public health issues.

Professor Camargo and his team study the causes and management of respiratory/allergy disorders, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and food allergy in several large cohorts. His team first described the strong association between obesity and risk of developing asthma, and discovered that higher intake of vitamin D by mothers during pregnancy was associated with a lower risk of wheezing in their children. Subsequent randomized trials demonstrated beneficial effects of vitamin D supplementation on winter-related atopic dermatitis and acute respiratory infections in children - findings that have opened up new avenues for the prevention and management of several respiratory/allergy disorders.

Professor Camargo will take up the position on 6 March 2014.