Endocrine-disrupting chemicals and infertility risk in Black women
Official title: Endocrine disrupting chemicals and risk of reproductive outcomes: a prospective study
Funded at Boston University Medical Campus · NIH-11449725 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant studies how environmental chemicals in the blood and urine may affect how long women take to conceive, focusing on African American women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2015 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,289,415 |
| NIH project number | 2R01ES024749-06A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11449725 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
African American women aged 23-35 at enrollment who are part of the SELF cohort or similar cohorts with available biomarker data.
✕Less likely to help
Women outside the target age range or not represented in the cohort may not directly benefit from these findings.
What this research studies
This project uses data from a long-running group of reproductive-aged Black women to measure chemical biomarkers and fertility outcomes over time. Researchers will look at how exposures to endocrine-disrupting chemicals relate to 12-month infertility, time-to-pregnancy, and use of fertility care, considering vitamin D as a potential modifier. Blood and urine samples collected during follow-up visits will be analyzed for chemical markers, and self-reported fertility information will be linked with biological data. The study builds on prior work and relies on an established cohort with years of follow-up to explore these associations. The aim is to identify environmental factors that may contribute to infertility in this population and inform potential prevention strategies.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could inform guidelines to reduce harmful exposures and improve fertility outcomes for Black women.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked endocrine-disrupting chemicals to reproductive outcomes, but this renewal focuses on a large, African American female cohort with detailed exposure data.
Where this research is happening
-
Boston University Medical Campus
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wise, Lauren a — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Wise, Lauren a
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.