How genes, childhood environment, and brain development shape addiction risk
Neurocognitive, genetic and socioenvironmental influences on a developmental precursors to addiction: A cross-species study
This project looks at how genes, early-life conditions, and brain development relate to behaviors like impulsivity that can lead to substance addiction.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Virginia Commonwealth University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Richmond, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11169789 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are combining human datasets and cross-species experiments to find brain, behavioral, and genetic signs that appear before substance use begins. They will analyze public genomic data to find gene networks linked to early-life resource scarcity and test whether those gene patterns relate to neurocognitive outcomes. The team will generate polygenic risk scores and use the ABCD Study to see how genetic risk and environment relate to impulsivity and delay discounting. This work aims to produce preliminary data and build a bidirectional translational team for a larger future study.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates would be people who experienced early-life resource scarcity or adversity, show impulsive or externalizing behaviors, or have a family history of substance use problems.
Not a fit: People with no history of early-life stress or impulsive behavior, or those with already established severe substance use disorders, are less likely to benefit directly from this early-risk focused project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify people at higher risk for addiction earlier so prevention or early interventions can be offered before substance use disorders develop.
How similar studies have performed: Prior research has linked genetics and childhood environment to addiction risk, but combining cross-species gene-network work with ABCD polygenic analyses is relatively novel and exploratory.
Where this research is happening
Richmond, United States
- Virginia Commonwealth University — Richmond, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Neigh, Gretchen N — Virginia Commonwealth University
- Study coordinator: Neigh, Gretchen N
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.