How early-life environmental exposures change gene activity and affect health
Environmental Epigenomics and Precision Environmental Health
Researchers are looking at whether early exposures like lead and phthalates change gene activity in specific tissues and raise the chance of health problems as children grow.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11307142 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project combines mouse experiments that mimic human pregnancy with analyses of samples from long-term human birth cohorts. Scientists will measure multiple kinds of epigenetic signals — DNA methylation, non-coding RNA, chromatin structure, and gene expression — across several tissues and in both sexes, using single-cell methods when useful. By comparing animal models and human samples over time, they aim to find tissue-specific epigenetic signatures left by early-life exposures that predict later disease risk. Those signatures could point to earlier detection or targets for preventing exposure-related illnesses.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are pregnant people, newborns, and children enrolled in long-term birth cohort studies or individuals with documented early-life exposure to metals or endocrine-disrupting chemicals.
Not a fit: People with health issues unrelated to early-life environmental exposures or those not connected to the participating cohorts are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could identify early epigenetic markers and targets to prevent or reduce disease caused by early-life toxicant exposures.
How similar studies have performed: Previous work has linked exposures to epigenetic changes in blood or animal models, but this integrated multi-tissue, multi-omic, single-cell approach is more novel and less tested.
Where this research is happening
Ann Arbor, United States
- University of Michigan at Ann Arbor — Ann Arbor, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dolinoy, Dana — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Dolinoy, Dana
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.