Early life stress and how it shapes metabolic risk from birth
Official title: Early Life Stress, Cellular Vulnerability, and the Developmental Programming of Metabolic Disease
Funded at University of California-Irvine · NIH-11347838 · Data updated 2026-11-12
New research will study how stress before birth sets the stage for obesity and metabolic problems, by looking at cells from newborns and tracking fat development in infants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California-Irvine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Irvine, United States) |
| Project start | June 5, 2026 |
| Project end | March 31, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $776,971 |
| NIH project number | 1R01DK147563-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11347838 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Newborns and infants whose mothers experienced stress during pregnancy, with follow-up into early childhood.
✕Less likely to help
Children without exposure to prenatal stress or who do not undergo the planned imaging and metabolic assessments may not experience direct benefits.
What this research studies
This project follows children from birth to understand how prenatal stress affects fat tissue and metabolism. Researchers will use umbilical-derived cells to model how early stress changes cellular vulnerability, and they will use MRI and metabolic tests in infants to watch fat development over time. The study combines basic science with clinical observations to identify early signals of risk and potential windows for prevention. It aims to improve how we identify at‑risk kids and ultimately prevent later metabolic disease.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could lead to earlier detection and prevention strategies for obesity and metabolic disorders starting in infancy.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work supports links between prenatal stress and later metabolic risk, but this study adds dynamic biomarker approaches and cellular modeling that are relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California-Irvine
Irvine, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Gyllenhammer, Lauren Elizabeth — University of California-Irvine
- Study coordinator: Gyllenhammer, Lauren Elizabeth
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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.