How stress before and after birth shapes children's epigenetics in Mexican‑American families
Common and Distinct Influences of Prenatal and Postnatal Early-Life Adversity on Epigenomic Trajectories in Mexican American Children
Researchers are comparing how stress during pregnancy versus stress in early childhood changes DNA markers linked to health in Mexican‑American children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Berkeley NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Berkeley, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11310760 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You and your child would be followed from pregnancy into childhood using samples and health information already collected through UC Berkeley's CHAMACOS project. The researchers will measure DNA methylation and gene expression in blood samples over time to map biological changes and link them to stress in pregnancy versus stress in early childhood and to weight outcomes. By comparing these timelines, they want to see whether early stress causes accelerated biological aging or changes that increase obesity risk. The work uses repeated visits and samples from families in the Salinas Valley.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are Mexican‑American mothers and their children enrolled from pregnancy through childhood in the UC Berkeley CHAMACOS cohort, especially families with documented prenatal or early-life adversity.
Not a fit: People who are not part of the cohort, adults without childhood exposure data, or children from other populations may not directly benefit from participation in this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal biological markers and critical timing that explain how early-life stress raises obesity risk and point to better prevention strategies for affected children.
How similar studies have performed: Previous research has linked adversity to DNA methylation, but most studies were cross-sectional or limited to candidate genes, so this longitudinal, genome-wide approach builds on promising but still emerging evidence.
Where this research is happening
Berkeley, United States
- University of California Berkeley — Berkeley, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Deardorff, Julianna — University of California Berkeley
- Study coordinator: Deardorff, Julianna
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.