Investigating how air pollution affects emotional development and mental health risks.
Official title: The role of air pollution in emotional neurodevelopment and risk for psychiatric disorders
Funded at University of Southern California · NIH-10873864 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how air pollution, like tiny particles and nitrogen dioxide, affects the emotions and behaviors of kids and teens, especially focusing on how being exposed to this pollution before and during childhood might impact their brain development and mental health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Southern California NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | September 21, 2020 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $517,686 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES032295-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-10873864 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include children and adolescents who have been exposed to high levels of air pollution and may be at risk for emotional and behavioral issues.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who have not been exposed to significant air pollution or who are not within the targeted age range may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research explores the impact of outdoor air pollution, specifically fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide, on emotional and behavioral problems in children and adolescents. It aims to understand the long-term effects of prenatal and childhood exposure to air pollution on brain development and mental health. By using neuroimaging techniques, the study will identify biomarkers related to emotional processing and regulation. The goal is to uncover how these environmental factors contribute to the risk of psychiatric disorders during critical developmental stages.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved understanding and prevention strategies for mental health disorders linked to environmental factors.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has indicated a correlation between air pollution exposure and mental health issues, suggesting that this approach could yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Herting, Megan Marie — University of Southern California
- Study coordinator: Herting, Megan Marie
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Whole-chromosome fine-mapping across diverse ancestries to understand psychiatric disorders
A study to pinpoint the exact genetic changes that contribute to bipolar disorder and related conditions by using diverse populations to improve accuracy.
-
Neuronal signals guiding deep brain stimulation for neuropsychiatric disorders
A doctor-scientist at Stanford plans to study how deep brain stimulation changes brain cells and circuits in people with OCD, depression, and movement disorders to improve how DBS therapies work.
-
How a spouse's mental health and substance use may affect a partner's drinking problems
A study looks at how a spouse’s psychiatric disorders and drinking habits influence when a person starts, stops, or relapses into alcohol use problems within marriage.
-
Mapping brain microstructure in psychiatric disorders with normal ranges
A study will build a brain-mapping reference to understand how an individual’s brain differs within the normal range, with a focus on youths and how age and sex affect brain microstructure.
-
Foundation Models for Brain Imaging in Psychiatry
A large AI model will be trained on many brain scans and related data to help researchers understand ADHD, autism, and bipolar disorder.
-
How early pollution and stress change brain circuits for motivation and memory
This work looks at how early-life exposure to pollution and stress can alter brain circuits that control motivation and working memory for people with ADHD, depression, or similar conditions.
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.