26 Facts About Andrew Steptoe

Andrew Steptoe is a pioneer in health psychology and behavioural medicine in the UK and internationally, known for his work on psychosocial factors in cardiovascular disease, ageing, and positive wellbeing and health.

Andrew Patrick Arthur Steptoe was born at St George's Hospital, Hyde Park Corner, London, the son of Patrick Steptoe, the obstetrician and gynaecologist responsible for the first IVF birth and Sheena, an actress.

Andrew Steptoe was brought up in Rochdale, Lancs, and was educated at Uppingham School.

Andrew Steptoe won a choral exhibition to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, from which he graduated with a First Class degree in Natural Sciences in 1972.

Andrew Steptoe subsequently moved to Magdalen College, Oxford, where in 1976 he completed a DPhil on biofeedback and cardiovascular disease in the department of psychiatry.

Andrew Steptoe resigned these posts in 1977 to take up a lectureship in the newly formed Department of Psychology at St George's Hospital Medical School in 1977.

Andrew Steptoe continued to work at St George's for 22 years, and was promoted to senior lecturer in 1981 and to Reader in 1987, before being appointed professor and head of department in 1988.

Andrew Steptoe's teaching of psychology to medical students resulted in a textbook Essential Psychology for Medical Practice.

Andrew Steptoe was involved in the early international development of behavioural medicine.

Andrew Steptoe was chair of the scientific program committee for the first International Congress of Behavioral Medicine, and served as President of the International Society of Behavioral Medicine from 1994 to 1996.

Andrew Steptoe was involved in the professional development of health psychology in the UK.

Andrew Steptoe was a founding member of the Division of Health Psychology of the British Psychological Society, and was founding editor of the British Journal of Health Psychology from 1995 to 2001.

Andrew Steptoe was associate editor of Psychophysiology, the Journal of Psychophysiology, the Journal of Psychosomatic Research, the Annals of Behavioral Medicine, the British Journal of Clinical Psychology, and the International Journal of Rehabilitation and Health.

Andrew Steptoe is currently associate editor of Aging and Mechanisms of Disease, and section editor of Current Cardiology Reports.

Andrew Steptoe has served on the editorial boards of 14 other international journals.

Andrew Steptoe was awarded a DSc by London University in 1995.

In 2000, Andrew Steptoe moved to the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London to become the first British Heart Foundation professor of psychology, a post he held until 2016.

Andrew Steptoe was appointed head of the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health in 2010, before becoming director of the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care at University College London.

Andrew Steptoe is programme director of the Health Psychology MSc at UCL.

Andrew Steptoe has made significant contributions to several aspects of health psychology and behavioural medicine.

Andrew Steptoe has been involved in the identification of the psychobiological pathways that link population-level risk factors such as low socioeconomic status and work stress with atherogenesis and cardiovascular disease progression.

Andrew Steptoe has advanced understanding of the biological influence of psychosocial factors, by discovering that inflammatory cytokines and haemostatic factors respond acutely to mental stress, and that rates of post-stress recovery in biological measures differ critically across psychosocial risk groups.

Andrew Steptoe has advanced the theoretical underpinning of psychobiological processes, building on allostatic theory to formulate a taxonomy of autonomic, neuroendocrine, inflammatory, and immune pathways through which life experiences influence disease risk.

Andrew Steptoe is involved in research on the determinants of healthy lifestyles, the relation of depression to physical health, and links between mental health and physical activity.

Andrew Steptoe has written several articles and a book on the cultural background of Mozart operas, together with a general biography of Mozart in which the text was coupled with recordings of his work.

Andrew Steptoe edited a collection of studies of creativity and temperament in the historical record, and has contributed research on Renaissance and 18th century history.