The woman charged with co-ordinating the Born in Bradford project is no stranger to the healthcare needs of the district's children.

Dr Pauline Raynor originally trained as a nurse in Leeds and later qualified as a midwife. After a spell working out of the UK she returned to Bradford to work as a school nurse and health visitor in the early 1990s.

"The problems faced in Bradford are similar to others areas where there is a level of poverty and deprivation, " she said.

"And Bradford is a deprived area."

As a health visitor she worked in inner city Leeds and began her interest in research by taking part in a project designed to find out what makes a child fail to thrive.

She developed this as a thesis and came to work as a lecturer in public health at Bradford University where she gained her Phd.

She then moved to York to work at the university and be part of a raft of research projects and clinical trials.

But when the opportunity came up to lead the Born in Bradford project Dr Raynor decided to make the move to work back in Bradford.

"It was the project that attracted me back, " she said. "This is something that everyone can take part in and make a real contribution to finding out the causes of illnesses in children and adults."

Born in Bradford - the world's biggest research study into children's health - was officially unveiled last week by its patron, Imran Khan, the former cricketer and newly installed Bradford University chancellor.

The lives of 10,000 babies born in the city in 2007/08 will be tracked by medical experts starting from their mother's pregnancy until they are 16.

An appeal has been launched to help raise £1 million towards the £3 million cost of the study.

The role of project manager will involve co-ordinating all the activity of the project that will contribute to making it a success.

This will include recruiting fundraisers and researchers and helping to engage the community in the project.

"We want to research as many women as possible, " said Dr Raynor. "We want to know what their burning questions are.

"It think women will be interested in things such as asthma and how the environment affects their children, allergies, what their children eat, diabetes and obesity."

Dr Raynor said she had been really impressed with the enthusiasm of the healthcare community in Bradford for the project.

"People are really supportive, " she said. "There is good backing from the Trust and everyone I have spoken to has been more than happy to help and offer support.

"I am really looking forward to taking forward the project and meeting the mums - that will be the exciting part.

"Every mother wants a healthy child and I am sure many women will be eager to take part."

HOW YOU CAN HELP.

Born In Bradford is a unique opportunity for people to get involved in the world's biggest study into children's health which is taking place in our city.

A £1 million community fundraising appeal, backed by the Telegraph & Argus, has been launched towards the estimated £3 million cost.

The money raised through the appeal will go towards paying for research equipment, research staff and laboratory staff to run the project and to analyse the results to come up with the causes of common childhood illnesses. We are urging businesses, community groups and individuals to back the appeal which will help improve the health of future generations.

To support the appeal, contact project manager Dr Pauline Raynor on (01274) 364021 or e-mail: pauline.raynor@bradfordhospitals.nhs.uk