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PAH exposure during reproductive windows of susceptibility and long-term chronic disease risk

Award Number: R01ES038509
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/02/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2031

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PAH exposure during reproductive windows of susceptibility and long-term chronic disease risk - Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) and cancer are the leading causes of death and disability worldwide, with women experiencing a disproportionate burden. Breast cancer is the most common cancer globally and accounts for two-thirds of all cancer cases in adults under 40. Women also experience higher rates of several forms of CVD compared to men, and CVD often present differently in women, with distinct symptoms and clinical manifestations. These differences highlight a critical gap in our understanding of how sex- specific risk factors and life course exposures contribute to chronic disease in women. Studying reproductive windows of susceptibility (WOS), such as pregnancy and perimenopause, may be particularly imporant because they involve profound hormonal, metabolic, and physiological changes that may increase women’s vulnerability to exposures such as environmental toxicants. However, few longitudinal studies have examined how exposures during these critical periods impact long-term disease risk, largely due to challenges in capturing time-specific exposures and maintaining extended follow-up. This study aims to fill that gap by investigating whether exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), common pollutants found in air pollution, tobacco smoke, and certain foods, during these reporductive WOS is associated with biomarkers of chronic disease risk in midlife. To investigate this, we will leverage the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health Mothers and Newborns Cohort, a prospective study of 543 urban women who have been followed since pregnancy and are now entering perimenopause. In prior research using this cohort, we found that PAH exposure during pregnacny was associated with breast tissue composition measured 15 years later using optical spectroscopy – a non- invasive but not clinically validated method for risk assessment. Building on these preliminary findings, the current study will use mammographic breast density, a clinically validated biomarker of breast cancer risk, as our primary outcome (Aim 1). We will also evaluate associations with 10-year CVD risk (Aim 2), and accelerated biological aging using validated DNA methylation clocks (Aim 3). Participants will attend two midlife clinic visits for biospecimen collection and mammographic imaging, enabling the assessment of both cross-sectional associations and within-person changes during perimenopause. Additionally, we will conduct untargeted metabolomics profiling in a subset of participants to explore broader environmental exposures and underlying biological pathways contributing to chronic disease risk. This will be the first prospective study to evaluate PAH exposure during two distinct reproductive WOS in the same individuals. By integrating longitudinal exposure data with validated biomarkers of breast cancer, CVD, and biological aging, this research will generate novel insights into the long-term health impacts of environmental toxicants during critical life stages. Ultimately, findings from this study will address a critical gap in women’s environmental health research and inform life course-based prevention strategies to reduce the burden of chronic disease.


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 = $818,402 )
2026	2026	THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK	630 W 168TH ST FL 4	NEW YORK	NY	10032	NEW YORK	USA	Environmental Health	000	1	7/3/2026	NEW	$818,402
														Subtotal = $818,402

Grand Total All Awards = $818,402

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PAH exposure during reproductive windows of susceptibility and long-term chronic disease risk

Award Number: R01ES038509

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SCIENCES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/02/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 06/30/2031

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