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Some of my colleagues are guinea pigs in an important study of  stress and health led by Professor Sir Michael Marmot at University College London. They are part of the 10,308 civil servants who volunteered for the study 22 years ago. The study has contributed enormously to understanding how the conditions in which people live and work affect their health.

Most of the group are office-based employees, from mandarins to messengers, and include a number of FSA colleagues.  As Chief Scientist, I am head of profession for the (almost) half of the Agency's team who are scientists. It's my job to support the recruitment and retention of high-calibre scientists to the FSA, guide their training and professional development,  and champion their work. In this role, I know how important it is to gain recognition for their excellent scientific work so that they feel valued and appreciated.

It's all too easy to focus on the story rather than the complex science and analysis that lies behind it.  This is why I have been trying to use my blog to show the importance of good science and how we use it to inform FSA policies and advice. Everyone wants to feel that they are treated fairly and their contributions recognised. 

On this theme I was interested to read about one of the latest publications from the Stress and Health Study showing that people who are often unjustly treated are at greater risk of having a heart attack or angina even after adjusting for established coronary risk factors. This is a message that truly needs to be taken to heart.