Understanding how early stress and brain wiring relate to anxiety and aggression in teens
Official title: The Evolutionary Basis of the Developmental Course and Etiologies of Anxiety and Disruptive Behaviors during Early Adolescence
Funded at Queens College · NIH-11324932 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project follows kids born around Superstorm Sandy to see how early and ongoing stress affects anxiety and disruptive behavior as they grow.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Queens College NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Flushing, United States) |
| Project start | August 17, 2023 |
| Project end | May 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $714,767 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH131638-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11324932 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Children and adolescents with a history of prenatal exposure to major stress and ongoing postnatal stress who present with or are at risk for anxiety or disruptive behaviors.
✕Less likely to help
Children without significant postnatal stress exposure or with low risk for anxiety or disruptive behaviors may see limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will use a birth cohort of children exposed or not exposed to Sandy-related stress before birth to explore how prenatal and postnatal stress shapes anxiety and aggressive behaviors. They will study brain regions like the amygdala and amygdaloid structures and track outcomes using DSM diagnoses and brain-imaging-inspired measures focused on negative emotions and cognitive control. The study also looks at whether postnatal stress strengthens or buffers these effects, and whether patterns differ between boys and girls. By combining detailed behavioral data with brain-related measures, the project aims to map how timing and duration of stress influence youth outcomes. This work could inform prevention and early support strategies for at-risk adolescents.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could guide targeted interventions to reduce anxiety and aggression in youth exposed to stress.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research shows prenatal stress relates to later anxiety and behavior problems, supporting the potential for meaningful insights but the specific long-term brain-behavior links are still being clarified.
Where this research is happening
-
Queens College
Flushing, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Nomura, Yoko — Queens College
- Study coordinator: Nomura, Yoko
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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.