Baby allergy data and immune development hub
Data Management and Bioinformatics
Collecting and analyzing newborn and infant samples to learn why some babies develop allergies while others stay protected.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Rochester NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Rochester, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11321250 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project follows infants from birth through their first year and gathers samples like cord blood, stool, skin swabs, tape strips, and cheek swabs along with clinical information. The team runs many lab tests — including metabolomics, proteomics, gene activity (transcriptomics), chromatin accessibility (ATAC‑seq), immune cell profiling, cytokine responses, and microbiome analyses — to map immune and microbial patterns. Researchers compare infants at higher allergy risk (urban Rochester) with those at lower risk, including Old Order Mennonite families, to find early differences. A dedicated data and bioinformatics core organizes the large datasets and performs the complex analyses to look for biomarkers and protective signatures.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Infants from birth through their first year, especially those enrolled in the Rochester birth cohort or with a family history of allergic disease, are the target participants.
Not a fit: Older children and adults, or infants who are not enrolled in the cohort, would not directly benefit from participating in this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal early biological signs that predict or protect against allergies, helping guide future prevention or early-intervention strategies for infants.
How similar studies have performed: Previous birth-cohort and early-life microbiome studies have linked immune and microbial patterns to allergy risk, but this comprehensive multi-omics, high-throughput approach in the first year is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
Rochester, United States
- University of Rochester — Rochester, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thakar, Juilee — University of Rochester
- Study coordinator: Thakar, Juilee
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 below.