PAH exposure around reproductive windows linked to long-term disease risk
Official title: PAH exposure during reproductive windows of susceptibility and long-term chronic disease risk
Funded at Columbia University Health Sciences · NIH-11340360 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study looks at how pollution from PAHs during pregnancy and other key reproductive periods might influence risks for heart disease and cancer later in life.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | July 2, 2026 |
| Project end | June 30, 2031 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $818,402 |
| NIH project number | 1R01ES038509-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11340360 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women of reproductive age or those who have undergone pregnancy or perimenopause, with long-term follow-up available, and access to environmental exposure data and biomarkers.
✕Less likely to help
Individuals without exposure data, without access to long-term follow-up, or those not at risk for the linked chronic diseases may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
If you are a woman planning a family or who has gone through reproductive changes, this research will follow participants to see how exposure to common pollutants may relate to markers of future disease. The study will collect and analyze data on environmental exposures, biological markers, and aging processes over time to understand sex-specific risks. By tracking these factors from pregnancy and perimenopause through midlife, researchers hope to uncover how early-life exposures shape chronic disease risk and identify potential moments for prevention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Findings could inform strategies to reduce pollutant exposure during critical reproductive periods and help personalize prevention for women at risk of heart disease or cancer.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies show links between environmental pollutants and sex-specific disease risks, but this project aims to clarify timing around reproductive windows and long-term biomarkers.
Where this research is happening
-
Columbia University Health Sciences
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Kehm, Rebecca D — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Kehm, Rebecca D
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Genomic risk tools to guide chronic disease care in adults
A program uses genetic risk scores along with health history to tailor prevention and early care for adults with chronic diseases.
-
How Economic Tough Times Affect Health Habits in Older Adults with HIV
This study looks at how living with limited money changes how older adults with HIV take medicines and use preventive health services.
-
Comprehensive food testing to prevent illness and protect health
This grant funds a program to test foods for dangerous chemicals and microbes to help keep people healthy and reduce chronic disease linked to food exposure.
-
Understanding how multiple health problems cluster in aging people with HIV
This grant looks at how social factors and multiple health conditions come together to affect aging in people living with HIV.
-
Arctic Ground Squirrels as a Model to Discover Treatments for Metabolic Diseases
Researchers are creating a new animal model using Arctic ground squirrels to uncover natural metabolic tricks that could lead to therapies for human conditions like diabetes and muscle wasting.
-
Real-time sensor network to track inflammatory cytokines in chronic illness
This project develops tiny injectable sensors that continuously track inflammatory proteins to better understand and eventually help manage chronic conditions like autoimmune disease, cancer, and heart disease.
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.