Using machine learning to improve understanding of environmental impacts on child development

Machine Learning remedies to unmeasured confounding biases in environmental mixture studies

['FUNDING_R21'] · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · NIH-10951232

This study is looking at how exposure to metals in the environment might impact the development of children, specifically focusing on mothers and their babies in Bangladesh, and it aims to create tools that will help other researchers understand these effects better.

Quick facts

Phase['FUNDING_R21']
Study typeNih_funding
SexAll
SponsorCOLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES (nih funded)
Locations1 site (NEW YORK, UNITED STATES)
Trial IDNIH-10951232 on ClinicalTrials.gov

What this research studies

This research aims to enhance our understanding of how environmental factors, particularly metal exposures, affect child development by addressing biases in existing studies. It will develop new analytical methods to detect and quantify the effects of unmeasured confounding variables that may skew results. The research will focus on a birth cohort of Bangladeshi mother-infant pairs, analyzing how various environmental mixtures influence developmental outcomes. Additionally, user-friendly software will be created to help other researchers apply these methods in their own studies.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0-11 years, particularly those from Bangladeshi backgrounds or exposed to environmental pollutants.

Not a fit: Patients who are not children or those not exposed to relevant environmental factors may not benefit from this research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better policies and interventions that protect children's health from harmful environmental exposures.

How similar studies have performed: Previous research has shown that addressing unmeasured confounding can significantly improve the validity of epidemiological studies, suggesting that this approach has potential for success.

Where this research is happening

NEW YORK, UNITED STATES

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.

View on NIH RePORTER →

Last reviewed 2026-05-15 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.