Early-life pyrethroid pesticide exposure and autism risk
Official title: Developmental pyrethroid exposure in the prairie vole as a model of environmental risk for autism
Funded at University of Toledo Health Sci Campus · NIH-11326724 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project will see how exposure to a common pesticide during early development changes brain chemistry and social behaviors linked to autism.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Toledo Health Sci Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Toledo, United States) |
| Project start | May 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $592,124 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES036248-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11326724 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
There is no human enrollment; the results will be most relevant to pregnant people and families of young children worried about pesticide exposure and autism risk.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals seeking immediate treatments or therapies for autism will not receive direct benefit because the research is preclinical and performed in animals.
What this research studies
From a patient or parent's perspective, researchers will give low developmental doses of the pesticide deltamethrin to prairie voles (small social rodents) and observe changes in social behavior and biological markers. Prairie voles are used because they form strong social bonds and show complex social behaviors that can resemble human social functioning. The team will measure behaviors, collect blood and brain samples, and analyze molecular and circadian rhythm changes after exposure. The work aims to identify dose levels that cause changes and to find biological signs that could direct future human research or safety guidelines.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help define safer pesticide exposure limits and reveal biological markers that guide later human studies or regulatory actions.
How similar studies have gone: Epidemiological data and rodent studies have suggested links between prenatal pyrethroid exposure and neurodevelopmental changes, but clear safe-dose thresholds and prairie-vole-specific data are limited.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Toledo Health Sci Campus
Toledo, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Burkett, James — University of Toledo Health Sci Campus
- Study coordinator: Burkett, James
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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.