Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD) awarded $518,267 to The Trustees of Columbia University in the City of New York on September 24, 2025, under the Minority Health and Health Disparities Research program (CFDA 93.307) to conduct a two-phase K99/R00 research project examining the relationship between life-course stressors, mitochondrial dysfunction, and preterm birth (PTB) risk among Black women. During the K99 phase, researchers will perform secondary data analysis on 100 existing participants (50 with term deliveries and 50 with preterm deliveries) using clinical and demographic data, questionnaire responses, and buccal swab samples previously collected from pregnant Black females enrolled between 24-30 weeks of gestation. The primary research objective is to determine how mitochondrial dysfunction—measured through mitochondrial DNA copy number and related proteins—mediates the association between life-course stressors (such as social factors and chronic stress) and PTB risk.

The R00 phase will involve prospective recruitment of pregnant Black women and assessment of mitochondrial function inheritance in mother-infant pairs following delivery. This research directly addresses documented health disparities, as Black women experience disproportionately high PTB rates compared to other U.S. populations. The project advances NIMHD's mission by identifying both environmental and biological risk factors alongside protective factors relevant to maternal health outcomes in underrepresented populations. The award is scheduled for completion by April 30, 2027.