How neighborhood and social factors relate to MGUS and myeloma risk
Socio-environmental context in monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS)
This project looks at whether income, education, and neighborhood features help explain why Black people have higher rates of MGUS and multiple myeloma.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11082487 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers are pooling long-term data from the Black Women's Health Study and the California Teachers Study, which include repeated health questionnaires and geocoded home addresses going back up to 25 years. They will link individual-level measures like income and education with neighborhood features of the built environment (for example, walkability and local resources) to see how these factors relate to MGUS occurrence. The work uses existing cohort data and spatial analyses to examine social and place-based drivers of MGUS differences across populations. Findings aim to clarify non-genetic contributors to MGUS risk that may help explain higher rates in African American populations.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adults who are participants in the Black Women's Health Study or the California Teachers Study, especially African American women with long-term health and address data.
Not a fit: People not represented in these cohorts—such as men, younger teens, or those without long-term address or questionnaire data—are unlikely to see direct benefit from this grant's analyses.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could identify social or neighborhood factors that may be changed or targeted to reduce MGUS and myeloma risk in high-risk groups.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has documented racial differences in MGUS and myeloma rates, but linking detailed neighborhood and socioeconomic measures to MGUS risk is largely novel.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University Medical Campus — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bertrand, Kimberly a. — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Bertrand, Kimberly a.
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.