How early-life stress and air pollution shape teen brain, mood, and weight
Stress-Air Pollution Interactions and Adolescent Neurobehavior
This project looks at whether stress and air pollution around the time of pregnancy and early childhood change brain-related behavior and raise the chance of obesity in children and teens.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11392610 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This work follows children from the perinatal period into adolescence to link early-life stress and air pollution exposures with later mood, self-control, and weight. Researchers combine exposure information from mothers and addresses with behavioral measures, mood questionnaires, and developmental testing in children. The team examines whether changes in inhibitory control and negative affect appear before increases in weight and how timing of exposures matters. The goal is to map the sequence of brain-behavior changes that could lead to adolescent obesity so prevention efforts can target the earliest risks.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Families with pregnant members, newborns, or young children who can share exposure histories and participate in follow-up visits over time would be good candidates.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate treatments for existing obesity or urgent mental health crises are unlikely to get direct clinical benefit from this observational research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could point to specific early-life exposure patterns and early behavioral signs that help prevent obesity and mood problems before they start.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked pollution, stress, mood, and weight mostly in adults or single timepoints, so this long-term, developmental approach is relatively novel.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wright, Robert O — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Wright, Robert O
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.