How manganese exposure and genes may raise ADHD risk
Official title: Manganese exposure and genetic diversity in risk mechanisms for neurodevelopmental disorders
Funded at Vanderbilt University Medical Center · NIH-11196758 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether early-life exposure to manganese together with genetic differences changes dopamine in the brain and increases ADHD risk in children and adolescents.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Vanderbilt University Medical Center NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Nashville, United States) |
| Project start | September 25, 2024 |
| Project end | July 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $2,917,964 |
| NIH project number | 4R01ES035518-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11196758 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Families with children who have known early-life exposure to manganese (for example from well water) or children with ADHD symptoms may be particularly interested in these findings.
✕Less likely to help
People without developmental manganese exposure or those with neurodevelopmental conditions unrelated to dopamine pathways are less likely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
Researchers will give mice oral manganese at levels similar to contamination from poorly filtered well water while comparing males and females across different genetic strains to see how behavior and dopamine transport change. They will also grow dopamine-producing human neurons from donated stem cells (hiPSCs) to observe cell-level effects. The team will combine behavioral testing, post-mortem brain tissue analysis, and electrophysiology in brain slices to track how manganese and genes interact. Together these methods aim to show which genes make brains more sensitive to manganese and how that could lead to ADHD-like problems.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify children who are most vulnerable to manganese exposure and inform prevention efforts or treatments that target dopamine-related pathways.
How similar studies have gone: Epidemiological and animal studies have linked manganese overexposure to neurodevelopmental problems and dopamine changes, but combining diverse mouse strains with human iPSC-derived dopamine neurons is a newer, translational approach.
Where this research is happening
-
Vanderbilt University Medical Center
Nashville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Harrison, Fiona Edith — Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- Study coordinator: Harrison, Fiona Edith
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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.