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Investigating the impact of maternal prenatal sleep problems on infant stress reactivity and placenta epigenetic regulation of stress-signaling pathways

Award Number: F32HL184662
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, & BLOOD INSTITUTE
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 12/01/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 11/30/2027

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Investigating the impact of maternal prenatal sleep problems on infant stress reactivity and placenta epigenetic regulation of stress-signaling pathways - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Poor sleep is associated with greater all-cause mortality and multiple causes of death, including cardiovascular disease. Sleep disturbances are of particular concern during pregnancy, with 76% of pregnant women reporting sleep problems at some point in pregnancy. Emerging evidence also links maternal prenatal sleep problems and compromised offspring health. However, the implications of maternal prenatal sleep on offspring physiology remain largely unknown. The NHLBI has prioritized early detection and prediction of sleep problems to promote health across the lifespan, and identification of maternal sleep problems in utero may provide the earliest opportunities for intervention to improve health. In line with NHLBI priorities, the purpose of this proposal is to assess the effects of maternal prenatal sleep problems on infant stress reactivity and epigenetic regulation of stress-signaling pathways. This project will leverage existing prospective data from mother-infant dyads (n=305). Maternal sleep problems were measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Infant stress reactivity was assessed via salivary cortisol samples collected in response to a stressor at one-month postpartum. Placental epigenetic regulation was determined through DNA methylation (DNAm) of stress-signaling pathways using genomic profiling of placental tissue collected after birth. The proposed F32 will leverage maternal prenatal sleep, infant salivary cortisol, and placental DNAm data that have been collected and preprocessed under parent grants (R01MH079153; R01DA031188). The current project has two aims: Aim 1: To test whether greater maternal prenatal sleep problems are associated with altered infant stress reactivity; and Aim 2: To test whether greater maternal prenatal sleep problems are associated with altered placenta epigenetic regulation of stress- signaling pathways. Assessing the associations maternal prenatal sleep problems, infant stress reactivity, and placenta epigenetic regulation will address a critical gap with implications for the health and development of two generations. While completing the current study, the applicant will gain critical training at Brown University that will strongly promote her career goals of becoming an independent NIH-funded investigator. The applicant’s training goals include: 1) increasing understanding of sleep methods and measures that can be used within the perinatal period, 2) enhancing training in understanding and analyzing infant stress reactivity data, 3) gaining new skills in understanding, measuring, and analyzing placental DNAm, 4) advancing analytic and inferential skills to incorporate longitudinal modeling, and bioinformatics, and 5) building interdisciplinary collaborations and enhancing manuscript and grant writing skills. The completion of this proposal and training goals, along with the strong mentorship from project sponsors (Drs. Laura Stroud and Katherine Sharkey) and co-sponsors (Drs. Carmen Marsit, Mary Carskadon, David Barker) will support the applicant’s career goal of becoming a federally funded researcher investigating the impact of maternal prenatal sleep on maternal and offspring health.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $81,574 )
2026	2026	THE MIRIAM HOSPITAL	164 SUMMIT AVE	PROVIDENCE	RI	02906	PROVIDENCE	USA	National Center on Sleep Disorders Research	000	1	5/12/2026	NEW	$81,574
														Subtotal = $81,574

Grand Total All Awards = $81,574

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Investigating the impact of maternal prenatal sleep problems on infant stress reactivity and placenta epigenetic regulation of stress-signaling pathways

Award Number: F32HL184662

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, & BLOOD INSTITUTE

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: FELLOWSHIP/SCHOLARSHIP/STUDENT LOANS

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 12/01/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 11/30/2027

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