Federal Grant Award Summary

Wayne State University received a $2.15 million Project Grant from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) under the Environmental Health program (CFDA 93.113), awarded June 1, 2026, with completion targeted for May 31, 2030. The research investigates novel mechanistic approaches to understand how gestational electronic cigarette (e-cigarette) vaping induces adverse neuronal adaptations in fetal brain development. Utilizing a pregnant rat model with translational inhalation delivery systems, the project examines how prenatal e-cigarette exposure alters hippocampal mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathways, which regulate critical metabolic functions including protein synthesis and autophagy. The research will characterize e-cigarette-induced fetal growth restrictions, dendritic morphological changes, and memory deficits while testing whether optimizing mTOR activity through third-generation mTOR complex 1/2 (mTORC1/C2) blockers can reverse e-cigarette-induced developmental phenotypes.

This project addresses a significant public health knowledge gap regarding e-cigarette safety during pregnancy, where approximately 7% of pregnant women currently use e-cigarettes despite insufficient evidence of their developmental effects. The research will generate fundamental knowledge about environmental exposures during a critical developmental window and contribute to evidence-based maternal health guidance, aligning with NIEHS's mission to investigate how environmental factors affect biological systems across the lifespan and translate findings into strategies to reduce disease burden and promote health.