How metal and chemical mixtures affect early brain development
Organic-metal mixtures and neurodevelopment
This project looks at whether prenatal and early-life exposure to mixes of metals and common organic chemicals measured in baby teeth is linked to children's brain development.
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-11112410 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you participate, researchers will use a tooth-based test that can tell when and how much your child was exposed to metals and many organic chemicals before and after birth. They will examine baby teeth and other samples collected over time to map exposure during pregnancy and early childhood. The team will compare those exposure patterns with children's developmental measures to find windows when the brain is most vulnerable. The goal is to learn which real-world mixtures of chemicals might affect learning and behavior.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are pregnant people and parents of infants and young children who can provide baby teeth or support sample collection and follow-up during early childhood.
Not a fit: Adults without recent pregnancy or young children, or anyone seeking immediate treatment for a health condition, are unlikely to get direct benefit from joining this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Results could help identify harmful exposures early and guide steps to reduce risks to children's brain development.
How similar studies have performed: Earlier work using baby-teeth biomarkers linked metals like lead and manganese to neurodevelopment, but combining those metals with more than 100 organic chemicals is a newer approach with limited prior evidence.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Arora, Manish — Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
- Study coordinator: Arora, Manish
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.