Early life factors shaping heart health in HIV-exposed and unexposed children in South Africa
Official title: Early life determinants of cardiometabolic health from birth to adolescence amongst HIV-exposed and unexposed South African children
Funded at Hartford Hospital · NIH-11415822 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant follows children born in South Africa to see how early life infections and HIV exposure affect inflammation and markers of heart health from infancy through adolescence.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Hartford Hospital NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Hartford, United States) |
| Project start | August 18, 2022 |
| Project end | July 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $138,265 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD108048-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11415822 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children born in South Africa who are HEU or HU, followed from birth through adolescence.
✕Less likely to help
HEU children without higher infection burden or different exposure patterns may see limited immediate impact.
What this research studies
Researchers will use the Drakenstein Child Health Study to track HEU and HU children from birth to early adolescence, measuring metabolite changes over time and how infections influence inflammation and metabolic pathways. They will compare 250 metabolites in thousands of participants to understand how early exposures relate to later cardiometabolic risk. The study aims to identify different trajectories that could explain higher disease risk in HEU children and point to potential prevention strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform early-life interventions to reduce future cardiometabolic disease risk in HEU children.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work has linked early infections and inflammation to later metabolic changes, but this study adds longitudinal metabolomics across a large cohort.
Where this research is happening
-
Hartford Hospital
Hartford, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Pellowski, Jennifer Ann — Hartford Hospital
- Study coordinator: Pellowski, Jennifer Ann
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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.