Air pollutants and ALS: mapping environmental links to motor neuron disease
Official title: Multiple Air Pollutants in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (MAP-ALS)
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11423391 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This NIH grant explores whether different air pollutants are linked to the development of ALS and uses a large U.S. data set to look for environmental risk factors.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2025 |
| Project end | September 29, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $359,928 |
| NIH project number | 5R01TS000346-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11423391 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are individuals living in areas with variable air pollution exposure, and families or communities affected by ALS, who may contribute data or participate in future related studies.
✕Less likely to help
People without ALS or without exposure to the studied environments may not directly benefit from the findings.
What this research studies
ALS is a rapidly fatal disease affecting nerve cells that control muscles. This project will examine hundreds of air pollutants across the country to see if any are associated with higher ALS risk, using a large population-based dataset with thousands of ALS cases. Researchers will map pollutants at the census-tract level and look for geographic clusters that might point to new environmental factors. The goal is to identify potential environmental risks that could be studied further for prevention or early detection, with a focus on factors that may relate to military service exposure. Results could guide future studies and public health actions to reduce risk where possible.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could inform strategies to reduce environmental exposure related to ALS and guide future prevention research.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has begun to link environmental exposures with ALS, but this project uses a very large dataset and agnostic searches to identify new factors.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Searles Nielsen, Susan — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Searles Nielsen, Susan
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.