Understanding how a brain chemical might influence mom and dad’s caring for babies
Official title: The promotion of parental behavior by the neurosteroid allopregnanediol
Funded at Columbia Univ New York Morningside · NIH-11389282 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A research grant is exploring how a hormone-like brain chemical called allopregnanolone and related substances influence parental care in animals, with potential clues for supporting families.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia Univ New York Morningside NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | August 15, 2025 |
| Project end | May 31, 2030 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $589,672 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD115879-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11389282 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are adults with a uterus or partners interested in postpartum biology, and healthcare providers seeking biological insights into parental care.
✕Less likely to help
This basic science project uses animal models and may not directly translate to immediate patient therapies.
What this research studies
This project studies the brain chemistry that shapes how and when parents care for their infants, using mouse models that mimic human biology. Researchers will examine how neurosteroids like allopregnanolone affect motivation and behavior related to parenting, aiming to connect hormonal changes to caring actions. The work builds on previous findings in mice and expands to species with varied parental care, to better understand why some parents care more consistently than others. The study may point to biological processes that could inform future approaches to supporting families affected by postpartum mood changes.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could uncover biological targets that help improve parental motivation and child development in contexts like postpartum mood disorders.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies show that neurosteroids can influence parenting behavior in mice, supporting potential relevance to humans but requiring further translation.
Where this research is happening
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Columbia Univ New York Morningside
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Bendesky, Andres — Columbia Univ New York Morningside
- Study coordinator: Bendesky, Andres
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.