Thyroid hormone and early brain development in iron-deficient kids
Official title: Thyroid Hormone as a Key Regulator of Neurodevelopment during Early Life Iron Deficiency
Funded at University of Minnesota · NIH-11412452 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This grant explores how thyroid hormone and iron deficiency in early life affect brain development and later ADHD-like behaviors in children.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project start | September 9, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $659,035 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD117850-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11412452 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children with a history of iron deficiency or at-risk infants could be relevant for future trials or samples.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy children without iron deficiency or thyroid risk factors may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Iron deficiency in pregnancy and infancy can harm a child’s thinking, movement, and social skills. The study looks at how thyroid hormone interacts with iron status during early brain growth and whether this contributes to long-term neurobehavioral problems. Using animal models and human data, researchers aim to uncover mechanisms that link iron availability, thyroid signaling, and brain development. The findings could point to new strategies to protect cognitive health in children affected by iron deficiency.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Better understanding of how early iron and thyroid factors influence brain development could lead to new prevention or treatment strategies for ADHD-related outcomes.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work shows that iron status and thyroid signaling affect brain development, but the precise interaction in early life is still being studied.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Minnesota
Minneapolis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bastian, Thomas W. — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Bastian, Thomas W.
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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.