Federal Project Grant Award Summary

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) awarded North Carolina State University a Project Grant of $746,205 on July 8, 2026, under the Environmental Health program (CFDA 93.113) to fund research investigating the relationship between toxic metal exposure, epigenetic modifications, and the risk of steatotic liver disease (SLD). The research will be conducted in Raleigh, North Carolina, with completion targeted for April 30, 2031. This project addresses a significant public health gap by examining how chronic environmental exposures to toxic metals—including cadmium, lead, arsenic, and gadolinium—contribute to the progression of SLD, which currently affects approximately 80 million Americans with disproportionately higher rates in rural areas and socioeconomically disadvantaged populations.

The funded research will produce empirical data and mechanistic insights on toxic metal hepatotoxicity in human populations, with particular emphasis on co-exposure effects at environmentally relevant concentrations and the role of epigenetic profiles in modifying disease outcomes. The project will utilize longitudinal study designs and advanced exposure assessment methodologies to overcome limitations of existing cross-sectional evidence and establish causal relationships between metal exposure and liver disease progression. Deliverables will include peer-reviewed publications, exposure assessment data, epigenetic profiling results, and evidence to inform clinical and public health policy recommendations regarding environmental contaminant exposure and SLD risk mitigation.