Early-life metal exposure and teen brain development
Metal mixtures, exposure windows, and neurodevelopmental trajectories from adolescence to adulthood
This project looks at whether metals babies encounter in the first two years affect brain development and thinking skills in adolescence and young adulthood.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11520266 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers follow teens and young adults who were part of a long-running community cohort in Northern Italy, where some neighborhoods sit near a steel plant that releases metals. They combine historical measures of metal exposure in early life with repeated brain MRI scans and computerized tests of attention and working memory to track how the brain and thinking skills change over time. The design speeds up follow-up by enrolling people across different adolescent ages and measuring trajectories rather than a single time point. This work focuses on mixtures of neuroactive metals to understand real-world exposures that might help explain differences in development.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adolescents or young adults who were enrolled in the PHIME cohort (including those who lived near the steel plant) and can undergo MRI scans and computerized cognitive testing.
Not a fit: People without early-life metal exposure data, who cannot have MRI, or who are not part of the enrolled cohort are unlikely to be able to participate or gain direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify specific early-life metal exposures that harm later brain and thinking development and inform prevention, screening, or monitoring strategies.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked individual metals like lead to cognitive problems, but long-term studies combining early-life exposure data with repeated MRI and executive function trajectories are relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Horton, Megan K — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Horton, Megan K
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.