How pollution and genes affect depression risk in Mexican American families
Official title: Research Project 2 - Genomic Approaches to Pollutome Effects on Risk of Major Depression in Hispanic Pedigrees
Funded at University of Texas Rio Grande Valley · NIH-11109550 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will measure personal pollutant levels and genetic factors in Mexican American families to look for links with recurrent major depression.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Texas Rio Grande Valley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Edinburg, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $549,610 |
| NIH project number | 5U54HG013247-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11109550 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adults from multigenerational Mexican American (Chicano/Chicana) families, especially those with a history of recurrent major depressive disorder, would be ideal candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without a family history of depression or those from non-Hispanic populations may not directly benefit from findings focused on Mexican American pedigrees.
What this research studies
You would be invited to give health information and biological samples so researchers can measure organic and inorganic pollutants in your blood and other tissues. They will combine those exposure measurements with genetic and family pedigree data from large multigenerational Mexican American families. The team will use clinical interviews and records to identify people with recurrent major depressive disorder and relate those diagnoses to pollution and genetic patterns. Their methods aim to find how environmental chemicals and inherited genetics together influence who develops repeated episodes of depression.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify environmental and genetic causes of recurrent depression and lead to better prevention, diagnosis, or tailored treatments for affected families.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked air pollution to depression using indirect exposure measures, but directly measuring personal pollutant levels combined with genomic pedigree analysis is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
Edinburg, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Blangero, John — University of Texas Rio Grande Valley
- Study coordinator: Blangero, John
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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.