Edward Melhuish is Professor of Human Development at Birkbeck, University of London and Visiting Professorial Fellow at the Institute of Education, University of London. Professor Melhuish is an internationally recognised expert in the study of child development and childcare and has extensive experience with longitudinal studies. He was a Principal Investigator of studies of day care and family life in the 1980s, which had considerable influence on sections of the 1989 Children Act. He has also conducted research on child development, parenting and childcare in several European countries, on behalf of the European Commission.
Professor Melhuish has acted as a consultant for design for children, children's organisations (e.g. UNESCO), government departments (e.g. DfES, DoH, EU Commission, European Parliament) and film, television and radio companies. In addition, he has frequently contributed to the media on children's issues, including newspaper, radio and television programmes.