Exposome profiling to find causes of asthma in children and teens
EXposomic Profiling in Airway disease to uNravel Determinants of disease in Asthma (EXPAND-Asthma) Center
This project looks at how environmental, social, and biological factors shape asthma in youth living in Richmond, California.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11124046 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a study enrolling about 200 young people with asthma and 100 without asthma from a largely Latine community in Richmond, CA. Researchers will collect blood and airway samples (nasal swabs and sputum) during stable periods and again during acute breathing events and recovery over one year. They will combine detailed exposure information (like air pollution and psychosocial stress) with multi-omic lab tests to find links between exposures and biological changes in the airways. The goal is to understand why asthma differs between people in this community and to identify pathways tied to worse outcomes.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Children and teens from Richmond, CA—especially those with diagnosed asthma—who can attend study visits and provide blood and airway samples are ideal candidates.
Not a fit: Adults, people living far outside the recruitment area, or those unwilling/unable to provide the required samples or follow-up visits are unlikely to be included or benefit directly.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could reveal exposure-driven mechanisms that guide better prevention or personalized treatments for asthma in marginalized youth.
How similar studies have performed: Prior studies have linked pollution and stress to asthma and used omics separately, but combining exposome and multi-omics in marginalized youth is a relatively new and growing approach.
Where this research is happening
San Francisco, United States
- University of California, San Francisco — San Francisco, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Christenson, Stephanie a — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Christenson, Stephanie 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 below.