Project Grant R56ES035798

This $483,000 project grant was awarded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) under the Environmental Health (CFDA 93.113) federal grant program. The grant supports research by the University of California, Davis to investigate how chronic exposure to traffic-related air pollution (TRAP) exacerbates the development of metabolic disorders like obesity and diabetes. Specifically, the researchers will use a novel TRAP exposure model in rats to test their hypothesis that TRAP impairs the resolution of neurogenic inflammation, which leads to increased metabolic disease symptoms. Over the 1-year project period, the researchers will characterize TRAP-induced changes in macrophage phenotypes and pro-inflammatory/pro-resolving lipid mediators to determine the causal relationship between TRAP-induced neurogenic inflammation, impaired inflammation resolution, and metabolic disease progression. The findings from this project are expected to inform regulatory and public health interventions aimed at reducing metabolic disease risks for populations living, working, or attending school near major roadways.