Understanding how stress affects Black mothers and their babies across generations
Official title: Intra- and Intergenerational Consequences of Maternal Stress Exposure for Maternal-Infant Health in Black U.S. Families
Funded at State University of New York at Albany · NIH-11120837 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project looks at how stress experienced by Black mothers, both in their lives and passed down through generations, impacts the health of both mothers and their infants.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | State University of New York at Albany NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Albany, United States) |
| Project start | September 6, 2022 |
| Project end | May 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $602,872 |
| NIH project number | 5R01HD106913-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11120837 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates would be Black mothers and their infants, aged 21 years or older, who are experiencing various levels of stress or living in specific social and environmental contexts.
✕Less likely to help
Patients who are not Black mothers or infants, or those outside the specific demographic and stress exposure criteria, may not directly benefit from this particular research.
What this research studies
This research aims to understand why Black mothers and infants in the U.S. experience worse health outcomes during and after pregnancy. We will explore how different types of stress, from personal interactions to neighborhood conditions, influence maternal and infant health. The project also examines the body's stress response, using measures like hormone levels and heart rate, to uncover the biological links. Our goal is to pinpoint the most important factors that can be addressed to improve health for Black families.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify specific social, environmental, and biological factors contributing to health disparities, leading to more effective interventions for Black mothers and infants.
How similar studies have gone: While the existence of these health disparities is well-documented, this specific approach of linking multi-level stressors and psychobiological mechanisms across generations is a novel and urgently needed area of focus.
Where this research is happening
-
State University of New York at Albany
Albany, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lin, Betty — State University of New York at Albany
- Study coordinator: Lin, Betty
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.