Project Grant R00ES034086

Award Date 9/1/24
Completion Date 8/31/27
Dollars Obligated $498K
Federal Grant Program
93.113
Assistance Type
Project Grant
Place of Performance
Hadley, MA 01035, USA

The University of Massachusetts (UMass) received a $497,916 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) under the Environmental Health (CFDA 93.113) federal grant program. The award aims to examine the relationships between exposure to the antimicrobial compound triclosan, pubertal hormones, the adolescent gut microbiome, and neurobehavioral development. Key research objectives include:

  1. Identifying critical windows of susceptibility to triclosan exposure and its effects on the adolescent microbiome (Aim 1);
  2. Assessing the role of pubertal hormones in shaping the microbiome and mediating/modifying the triclosan-microbiome association (Aim 2);
  3. Examining the longitudinal relationship between the adolescent microbiome and behavior (Aims 3A-3B).

The project will leverage an ongoing longitudinal birth cohort study to obtain extensive data on environmental exposures, hormones, microbiome composition, and neurobehavioral outcomes. A $185,399 sub-award to Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center will support specialized microbiome analysis and data integration aspects of the project. This research seeks to fill critical gaps in understanding how environmental toxicants, endocrine disruption, and the adolescent gut microbiome may influence neurodevelopment.

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