How the timing of eating affects reproductive health
The circadian time of food intake and its effect on reproductive health
This research looks at whether eating at the 'wrong' times of day can disrupt body clocks and harm fertility, especially for people with irregular schedules like shift workers.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Oregon Health & Science University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Portland, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11318921 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Researchers will use mouse models to mimic eating at different times of day and watch how that changes mating, ovulation, and pregnancy outcomes. They will look at hormone patterns like the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge and at specific brain cells called kisspeptin neurons that help time ovulation. The team will compare males and females to see who is most sensitive to mis-timed meals and will map how feeding time uncouples internal clocks from reproductive timing. The goal is to identify the biological steps by which wrong-time eating leads to reduced fertility.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with irregular sleep or meal schedules—such as night-shift workers or those trying to conceive while experiencing circadian disruption—are the group that could eventually benefit.
Not a fit: People whose infertility is due to fixed anatomical problems, known genetic causes, or issues unrelated to daily rhythms may not receive direct benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could point to simple timing-based lifestyle changes or new biological targets to help protect fertility in people with disrupted daily schedules.
How similar studies have performed: Epidemiological studies link shift work to menstrual and birth problems, and prior mouse work shows mis-timed feeding can reduce fertility, so this project builds on existing findings while probing new mechanisms.
Where this research is happening
Portland, United States
- Oregon Health & Science University — Portland, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Butler, Matthew P — Oregon Health & Science University
- Study coordinator: Butler, Matthew P
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.