Mixed-metal effects on children's brain health in rural Bangladesh
Official title: Building Capacity to study mixed metal-induced neurotoxicity in rural Bangladeshi children-A1
Funded at Sam Houston State University · NIH-11121047 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project trains local scientists to look at how exposure to metals like arsenic, lead, manganese, and cadmium may harm thinking and development in children living in rural Bangladesh.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Sam Houston State University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Huntsville, United States) |
| Project start | September 14, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $412,607 |
| NIH project number | 5R01ES032149-05 |
| Project ID | NIH-11121047 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children living in rural Bangladeshi communities with possible exposure to arsenic, lead, manganese, or cadmium, and their families willing to take part in exposure testing and child development assessments.
✕Less likely to help
Children outside the affected rural regions, adults without relevant metal exposures, or anyone unable to take part in local testing may not directly benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
U.S. and Bangladeshi researchers are working together to measure children's exposure to several toxic metals and to carry out simple tests of thinking, behavior, and development. Local teams will be trained in collecting samples, laboratory analysis of metals, neurobehavioral testing, and data analysis so they can run and interpret future studies. The project focuses on mixed-metal exposure because children are often exposed to more than one metal at a time, and it will develop methods to link combined exposures with child outcomes. Over time, the effort aims to build a local research network capable of monitoring and addressing metal-related threats to children's brain health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help detect and prevent metal-related harm to children's brain development and guide local public health actions.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies in Bangladesh have linked single-metal exposures to subtle neurobehavioral problems in children, but studies addressing combined exposures and building local research capacity are less common.
Where this research is happening
-
Sam Houston State University
Huntsville, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Khan, Khalid M. — Sam Houston State University
- Study coordinator: Khan, Khalid M.
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.