Investigating how environmental and social factors affect mammographic features
Official title: Environmental and social determinants of mammographic features
Funded at Harvard School of Public Health · NIH-10978958 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how things like your environment and social situation can affect breast health, especially how dense your breast tissue is, which can influence breast cancer risk, and it aims to find ways to improve screening and prevention for everyone.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Harvard School of Public Health NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project start | September 3, 2024 |
| Project end | June 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2024 |
| Award (this year) | $763,895 |
| NIH project number | 1R01ES035736-01A1 |
| Project ID | NIH-10978958 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research include women undergoing mammography, particularly those with varying socioeconomic backgrounds and environmental exposures.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not undergoing mammography or those with no risk factors for breast cancer may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research explores how various environmental and social determinants influence mammographic features, particularly percent mammographic density (PMD), which is a significant risk factor for breast cancer. By utilizing advanced digital mammography techniques and deep learning algorithms, the study aims to identify modifiable risk factors associated with breast cancer. It will consider multiple exposures simultaneously, including socioeconomic status and environmental factors like air pollution, to provide a comprehensive understanding of their impact on breast health. The findings could lead to improved screening and prevention strategies for breast cancer.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better identification of breast cancer risk factors, ultimately improving prevention and treatment strategies for patients.
How similar studies have gone: Other research has shown success in identifying risk factors for breast cancer through similar approaches, but this study aims to integrate multiple determinants in a novel way.
Where this research is happening
-
Harvard School of Public Health
Boston, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Laden, Francine — Harvard School of Public Health
- Study coordinator: Laden, Francine
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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.