How early pollution and stress change brain circuits for motivation and memory
Official title: Motivational and Cognitive Circuit Mechanisms of Environmental Toxin-Induced Risk for Psychiatric Disorders.
Funded at New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC · NIH-11295458 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This work looks at how early-life exposure to pollution and stress can alter brain circuits that control motivation and working memory for people with ADHD, depression, or similar conditions.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | March 23, 2024 |
| Project end | January 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $642,173 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES035856-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11295458 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
People with ADHD, major depression, schizophrenia, or a history of early-life stress or high pollution exposure would be most interested in findings from this work.
✕Less likely to help
Because the project is preclinical and done in animals, it does not offer direct treatment or enrollment opportunities for patients at this time.
What this research studies
This project uses mice to trace how environmental pollution and early-life stress change the brain circuits that drive reward learning and working memory, focusing on dopamine cells in the ventral tegmental area and neurons in the hippocampus. Because direct causal tests in people are not possible, the team performs invasive experiments in animals to link exposure, circuit changes, and behavior. Preliminary mouse results already show altered dopamine signaling and disrupted hippocampal activity after early pollution or stress, which correspond to problems with unexpected rewards and sequence memory. The researchers aim to map these circuit changes so future human-focused prevention or treatments can be developed.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could clarify why early pollution and stress raise risk for ADHD and related disorders and point to targets for prevention or future therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies, including the team's preliminary data, have shown that early pollution and stress can change dopamine and hippocampal circuits, but translating these findings into human treatments remains unproven.
Where this research is happening
-
New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harris, Alexander — New York State Psychiatric Institute Dba Research Foundation for Mental Hygiene, INC
- Study coordinator: Harris, Alexander
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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.