How environmental chemicals affect teen sleep and stress
Official title: Pre- and postnatal chemical mixture exposure, adolescent sleep health, and allostatic load
Funded at University of Louisville · NIH-11394814 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are studying whether everyday chemical exposures in early life affect sleep quality and stress-related health during adolescence.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Louisville NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Louisville, United States) |
| Project start | September 12, 2023 |
| Project end | June 30, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $377,740 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES035133-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11394814 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescents and young adults who have a history of early-life exposure to environmental toxicants and are willing to participate in sleep and health assessments.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without relevant exposure history or who are not able to participate in sleep/biomarker assessments may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project follows teens as they grow to see if early exposure to common chemicals in foods and consumer products affects how well they sleep and how their bodies handle stress. It combines sleep science with environmental health to look at mixtures of phthalates, PFAS, and metals, using data from long-running pregnancy and birth studies. By linking exposure histories to sleep patterns and measures of physiological stress, the study aims to identify modifiable factors that could improve adolescent health down the line. The work involves teams from pediatric environmental health, sleep research, and cardiometabolic health to understand the mechanisms at play and potential intervention points.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could inform strategies to reduce harmful exposures and promote better sleep and metabolic health for adolescents.
How similar studies have gone: Past research Linking environmental exposures to sleep and stress has shown associations, with this study expanding to exposure mixtures and adolescent outcomes.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Louisville
Louisville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sears, Clara G — University of Louisville
- Study coordinator: Sears, Clara G
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Gastric rhythm map to understand stomach problems using a new noninvasive tool
A new noninvasive body surface mapping method is being tested to see if abnormal stomach electrical rhythms explain chronic stomach problems like functional dyspepsia and persistent nausea.
-
Novel antivirals for alphavirus arthritis
A research team is refining a promising antiviral compound to treat alphavirus infections that cause arthritis, with a focus on Chikungunya and related viruses.
-
Linking heavy metal exposure to a tougher breast cancer type (TNBC)
Aimed at understanding how heavy metals like cadmium might trigger a dangerous breast cancer type (TNBC) in people, especially those with BRCA1 risk, to identify possible future treatment strategies.
-
Cardiac safety of flavored e-cigarette aerosols in adults
A pharmacist or clinician would test how inhaling flavored e-cigarette aerosols affects heart rhythm in adults to see if flavors raise the risk of heart problems.
-
Biomedical Research Facilities to Expand Precision Medicine in Kentucky
A large NIH grant aims to renovate and expand a shared precision medicine center in Kentucky to speed up research that could improve health for people in Appalachia and surrounding areas.
-
Rac-enhanced CAR-Macrophages against TNBC
A new cell therapy approach uses engineered macrophages with a CAR and Rac2 activation to target and kill triple-negative breast cancer cells expressing CSPG4.
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.