Early-life metal exposures and teen risk-taking
Longitudinal study of metal mixtures and the developmental origins of adolescent risk-taking
This project follows children from pregnancy into adolescence to link early exposure to metals like lead, manganese, and zinc with brain development and risk-taking behaviors in teens.
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-11192881 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of the PROGRESS group that has followed families from pregnancy through childhood and now into the teen years. Researchers use a novel tooth biomarker to reconstruct metal exposures in infancy and combine that with repeated brain MRI scans and behavioral tests over time. They focus on mixtures of metals (lead, manganese, zinc) and model how changing brain measures across adolescence relate to later risky behaviors. This long-term follow-up uses existing cohort data plus new visits to map developmental trajectories rather than single timepoint snapshots.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are pregnant people and their children (now in childhood or adolescence) who can provide dental samples or records and attend periodic MRI and behavioral visits.
Not a fit: People without early-life metal exposure data, who cannot undergo MRI, or who cannot attend follow-up visits may not directly benefit from participation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify early exposure patterns that help predict which children are at higher risk for unhealthy risk-taking, informing earlier prevention or monitoring.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier work from this cohort linked reconstructed early-life metal mixtures to emotional brain changes and internalizing behaviors in preadolescents, so this project builds on those promising findings to explore adolescent risk-taking.
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.