Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) awarded $717,688 to Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai under the Mental Health Research Grants program (CFDA 93.242) on May 1, 2026, for a four-year project period concluding April 30, 2030. This K01 Career Development Award supports a research investigation into the molecular and epigenetic mechanisms by which postpartum stress interacts with parity to influence vulnerability to perinatal and postpartum mood and anxiety disorders (PMADs). The research employs a novel parity by postpartum stress mouse model to identify transcriptomic and epigenetic dysregulation in the dorsal hippocampus and dopaminergic pathways from the ventral tegmental area that underlie anxiety-like phenotypes and loss of cognitive adaptations following postpartum stress exposure.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Ian Maze, the investigator will conduct three specific aims designed to elucidate how epigenetic regulation of ventral tegmental area-dorsal hippocampus projections mediates the interaction between parity and postpartum stress. The deliverables include characterization of transcriptomic sensitivity and epigenetic changes in response to maternal experience and stress, mechanistic understanding of dopamine dysregulation, and identification of therapeutic targets for intervention in at-risk postpartum populations. This research addresses a critical gap in understanding factors influencing PMAD risk and contributes to NIMH's mission to transform understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research.