How climate and air pollution relate to menstrual health and PCOS risk
Official title: Climate factors, racial/ethnic disparities, and menstrual cycle health
Funded at Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health · NIH-11262320 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether temperature, humidity, and air pollution across a person’s life affect menstrual cycles and the chance of developing PCOS in people of different racial and ethnic groups.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | April 1, 2023 |
| Project end | January 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $546,929 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES035106-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11262320 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are people who menstruate (adolescents and reproductive-age women) who can share menstrual histories and live in areas with measurable air pollution and climate data.
✕Less likely to help
This project is unlikely to benefit men, postmenopausal people, or those without menstrual cycles because it focuses on menstrual function and PCOS risk.
What this research studies
If you join, researchers will link your menstrual history and any PCOS diagnosis with local temperature, humidity, and air pollution measurements across your life. They will combine clinical records and self-reported cycle information from people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds with improved neighborhood-level exposure data. The team will look at exposures during pregnancy, childhood, and adulthood to pinpoint when environmental factors may matter most. Findings aim to explain disparities in menstrual health and guide ways to prevent or reduce harm from harmful climate and pollution exposures.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify environmental contributors to irregular periods and PCOS and inform prevention or policy approaches to protect reproductive health.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked air pollution and temperature to some reproductive outcomes like pregnancy loss and IVF success, but connections to menstrual irregularity and PCOS are less consistent and need better, more diverse studies.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mahalingaiah, Shruthi — Harvard University D/b/a Harvard School of Public Health
- Study coordinator: Mahalingaiah, Shruthi
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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.