How chronic stress before pregnancy might affect children through epigenetics
Official title: A model system to study the inheritability of chronic stress through epigenomics
Funded at Morehouse School of Medicine · NIH-11194336 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows women before pregnancy to measure how long-term stress changes biological markers that could signal higher risk of pregnancy complications like preterm birth or high blood pressure.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Morehouse School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Atlanta, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $289,772 |
| NIH project number | 5U54HG013595-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11194336 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are women of childbearing age who are not currently pregnant but plan to conceive or are willing to be followed if they become pregnant, especially those with a history of chronic stress or trauma.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not planning pregnancy, men, or patients whose pregnancy risks come from clearly non-stress-related medical or genetic causes may not get direct benefit from this project.
What this research studies
If I am a woman planning pregnancy, the team asks about my lifetime stress and trauma and collects blood and tissue samples before I get pregnant. They use detailed molecular tests (multi-omics) and tissue-based spatial profiling to look for changes in immune and epigenetic signals. The researchers then follow participants through pregnancy to link those preconception markers with outcomes such as preterm birth, gestational diabetes, or hypertensive disorders. The goal is to find early-warning signals detectable before pregnancy begins.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could produce tests that identify women at higher risk before pregnancy so preventive care can start earlier.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research links chronic stress and epigenetic or immune changes to pregnancy risks, but using preconception multi-omics together with tissue-based spatial profiling to create early-warning biomarkers is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Morehouse School of Medicine
Atlanta, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Johnson, Erica L — Morehouse School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Johnson, Erica L
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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.