Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) awarded the University of California, Irvine a $776,971 Project Grant on June 5, 2026, under the Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Diseases Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.847) to investigate early life stress (ELS), cellular vulnerability, and the developmental programming of metabolic disease through March 31, 2031. The research employs a translational, multi-level design integrating basic science and clinical research to determine how prenatal stress exposure is biologically embedded, leading to increased vulnerability to abdominal adiposity and metabolic dysfunction in infants.

The project delivers comprehensive research services combining in vitro cellular modeling with in vivo clinical assessment. Key deliverables include: (1) advanced magnetic resonance imaging assessments of infant adiposity and distribution at birth and 5-6 months of age; (2) metabolic profiling and functional analysis in exposed infants; (3) in vitro modeling using umbilical-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) to characterize individualized cellular vulnerability to stress exposure; and (4) comprehensive quantification of biological stress exposure during pregnancy using glucocorticoid-cytokine stimulation assays and diurnal salivary cortisol sampling. These integrated research activities are designed to elucidate cellular and molecular pathways mediating metabolic disease developmental origins, supporting early identification and prevention strategies for at-risk children.