Federal Grant Award Summary

Tufts University School of Medicine received a $453,750 Project Grant from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) under the Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research program (CFDA 93.865) effective June 1, 2026 through May 31, 2028. The award funds research investigating the epigenetic inheritance of trauma effects through changes in sperm microRNA (miRNA) function. The project examines how trauma exposure and adverse childhood experiences in men correlate with specific alterations in sperm miRNA levels—particularly miRNAs 532, 361, 375, and 491—and how these molecular changes may be transmitted to offspring through epigenetic mechanisms, potentially predisposing children to behavioral and mental health disorders including anxiety and impaired social functioning.

The research leverages complementary findings from both human epidemiological studies and preclinical mouse models to elucidate the biological pathways through which paternal trauma exposure produces transgenerational effects. The project specifically investigates whether trauma-induced sperm miRNA alterations persist through early embryonic development and alter gene expression patterns that result in behavioral phenotypes in offspring, with particular attention to suppressed hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response—a trait linked to mental health disorders. This investigator-initiated basic and translational research contributes to the NICHD mission of advancing understanding of human development and enhancing health outcomes across the lifespan by identifying molecular mechanisms underlying the intergenerational transmission of trauma-related conditions.