In this article some of the findings emerging from a research network investigating the socio-economic, biological and psychological circumstances that contribute to human capability and resilience over the life course [www.ucl.ac.uk/capabilityandresilience] are reported. The network, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), brought together scientists from diverse disciplines including experts from psychology, psychiatry, sociology, economics, epidemiology, geography, and social policy. The diverse backgrounds of the team reflect the complexity of the topic, which has to be tackled from different angles in order to generate a better understanding of the factors and processes that make it possible for individuals to lead healthy and rewarding lives
