Long-term study of how pesticide exposure affects fertility and hormones from adolescence to young adulthood
Official title: The ESPINA Study 19th Year Follow-Up: A Longitudinal Investigation of Pesticide Exposures in relation to Fertility and Hormonal Health
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11419583 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study follows people in Ecuador from adolescence into their twenties to see how pesticide exposure may influence fertility and hormone health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 18, 2020 |
| Project end | June 30, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $467,802 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES030378-07 |
| Project ID | NIH-11419583 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adolescents or young adults aged around 12–27 who have been part of the ESPINA cohort and have stored biospecimens with exposure data.
✕Less likely to help
Participants not exposed to pesticides or not progressing into reproductive years may have limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Participants are followed over time to measure reproductive health biomarkers using collected biospecimens and exposure data. The project uses biomarker measurements to track pesticide exposure and links these data to fertility and endocrine health outcomes as participants reach peak reproductive years. Based at UC San Diego, the study builds on the ESPINA cohort to provide deeper insights into how environmental factors shape reproductive health for young people and adults.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of how pesticides affect fertility and hormonal health could inform public health guidelines and prevention strategies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous ESPINA follow-ups have shown meaningful associations; this longitudinal approach aims to strengthen evidence with biomarker data.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Suarez, Jose Ricardo — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Suarez, Jose Ricardo
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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.