How childhood poverty leaves biological marks that affect thinking and health
Epigenetic Pathways of Socioeconomic Disparities in Physical and Cognitive Health Across the Lifespan
['FUNDING_R01'] · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN · NIH-11324301
This project tests whether giving extra cash to low-income mothers changes children's DNA marks and links to their physical and thinking development.
Quick facts
| Phase | ['FUNDING_R01'] |
|---|---|
| Study type | Nih_funding |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN (nih funded) |
| Locations | 1 site (AUSTIN, UNITED STATES) |
| Trial ID | NIH-11324301 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this research studies
If you are a low-income parent with a young child, researchers will follow families who receive regular cash payments and compare them to families who do not. They will take small biological samples from children to measure DNA methylation patterns that may reflect lifelong risk for physical and cognitive problems. The team will combine these molecular measures with tests of children's thinking skills and health over time to see if the cash support changes those signals. The goal is to use these biological markers as a short-term window into how childhood conditions shape long-term health.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are low-income mothers and their young children who are eligible to join the Baby's First Years cash-transfer program and can participate in follow-up visits.
Not a fit: People who are not low-income parents of young children or who do not take part in the cash-transfer program are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could show that direct cash support to families can change biological markers tied to health and lead to better cognitive and physical outcomes for children.
How similar studies have performed: Previous cash-transfer studies have improved family economic and some child outcomes, and early research links social conditions to DNA methylation, but using methylation score changes to track intervention effects is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
AUSTIN, UNITED STATES
- UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN — AUSTIN, UNITED STATES (ACTIVE)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: HARDEN, KATHRYN PAIGE — UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN
- Study coordinator: HARDEN, KATHRYN PAIGE
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.