Intergenerational factors in neurodevelopmental disorders
Official title: Intergenerational programming of neurodevelopmental disorders
Funded at University of Michigan at Ann Arbor · NIH-11583822 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how experiences before and during pregnancy across generations may influence the risk of neurodevelopmental conditions like ADHD, autism, and related disorders in grandchildren.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Michigan at Ann Arbor NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Ann Arbor, United States) |
| Project start | August 13, 2026 |
| Project end | July 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $88,822 |
| NIH project number | 3R01HD118688-01A1S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11583822 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with or at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders and their family members, or researchers and clinicians interested in the origins of these conditions, within populations similar to those in the Swedish registry data.
✕Less likely to help
There may be no direct short-term benefit for any individual participant, as this is a population-based observational study using existing data.
What this research studies
Researchers will use nationwide Swedish health data to create a huge multigenerational cohort, examining how grandmaternal pregnancy factors and parental perinatal characteristics relate to the risk of neurodevelopmental conditions in grandchildren. They will apply causal analysis methods to separate true effects from shared family factors, and explore mediation to see if certain exposures explain part of the risk. The study aims to shed light on whether influences from previous generations can contribute to conditions such as autism, ADHD, intellectual disability, cerebral palsy, and epilepsy in children. Findings could inform prevention strategies and better understanding of how early-life environments affect long-term brain development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the research could improve understanding of how ancestral and parental factors contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders, informing prevention and early intervention approaches.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work in human populations is limited; this large-scale, multigenerational approach is among the first to link grandmaternal and parental factors with grandchild neurodevelopmental outcomes.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Villamor, Eduardo — University of Michigan at Ann Arbor
- Study coordinator: Villamor, Eduardo
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Understanding brain signals in autism to identify biologically distinct subtypes
This study uses EEG to link how the brain processes sensory information with behavior in young children with autism and related concerns.
-
Clinical Translational Research Center for Neurodevelopmental Disorders
A funded center supports research on neurodevelopmental disorders like Angelman syndrome and autism to better understand causes and improve treatments for children.
-
Synaptic nanostructure in neurodevelopmental disorders
This project aims to map the tiny architecture of brain synapses in native cells to understand how connections form and change in neurodevelopmental disorders.
-
Maternal acetaminophen use in pregnancy and ADHD risk in children
A large study will follow thousands of mother-child pairs to see if taking acetaminophen during pregnancy relates to ADHD in kids.
-
GDF11’s role in brain development and autism-related disorders
A new NIH grant tests whether adjusting a growth factor called GDF11 can improve brain function and behaviors in models related to autism and other neurodevelopmental disorders.
-
DOT1L chromatin regulator and neurodevelopmental disorders
A study to understand how changes in the DOT1L chromatin regulator affect brain development and contribute to neurodevelopmental disorders in people.
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.