Social stress, cellular aging, and early birth risk in Black women
Official title: Epigenetic aging, social factors, and preterm birth among Black women
Funded at University of Central Florida · NIH-11238952 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at whether life stress and a DNA-based measure of cellular aging are linked to having a baby before 37 weeks among Black pregnant women.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Central Florida NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Orlando, United States) |
| Project start | March 18, 2023 |
| Project end | November 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $620,718 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MD018293-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11238952 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant Black women who can provide blood samples and answer questions about social stressors would be the ideal participants for this work.
✕Less likely to help
Non-pregnant people, or pregnant women who are not Black or who cannot provide samples or attend study visits, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this specific project.
What this research studies
This work follows Black women through pregnancy, collecting blood samples and information about life stress and social conditions. Researchers will measure a DNA-based "epigenetic" age, including a sensitive ribosomal DNA clock, to see if some women's cells show signs of faster aging. They will compare these biological aging measures with pregnancy outcomes to see if faster cellular aging is associated with early birth. The study combines laboratory tests on blood with surveys about stress and living situations to better understand causes of higher preterm birth risk.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could help identify women at higher risk for preterm birth earlier so they can get closer monitoring or targeted support.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has linked epigenetic aging measures to stress and health outcomes, but using the rDNA methylation clock specifically to predict preterm birth in Black women is relatively new.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Central Florida
Orlando, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Giurgescu, Carmen — University of Central Florida
- Study coordinator: Giurgescu, Carmen
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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.