Wednesday, August 6, 2025 8/6/2025

Leveraging Ethnic Anotia-microtia Disparities for Discovery (LEADD) Study

Award Number: R01MD018577
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CENTER ON MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARITIES
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: SCIENTIFIC/HEALTH RESEARCH (INCLUDES SURVEYS)
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/31/2023
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 02/29/2028

Group Awards By:

View Award Description

Leveraging Ethnic Anotia-microtia Disparities for Discovery (LEADD) Study - PROJECT SUMMARY Anotia/microtia is a birth defect characterized by an absent or hypoplastic external ear; it is estimated that >80,000 Americans are living with this condition, which causes significant hearing loss in >75% of affected individuals. This study will identify social/environmental and genetic drivers of anotia/microtia, with an emphasis on addressing health disparities for Hispanic/Latinx populations. Notably, the birth prevalence of anotia/microtia is increased in Hispanic relative to non-Hispanic white populations, but Hispanic infants are less likely to be diagnosed with an anotia/microtia syndrome than their non-Hispanic white peers. This study will use a three-part approach. First, by leveraging data on >10 million live births and >3,500 cases with anotia/microtia from population-based birth defects registries in California and Texas, it will evaluate the extent to which sociodemographic factors explain differences in the birth prevalence of anotia/microtia syndromes between Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations. Second, using an ancestry-aware genome-wide association method (Tractor), archived biospecimens from the California Biobank Program and National Birth Defects Prevention Study, and publicly available whole-genome sequencing data from the Gabriella Miller Kids First Pediatric Research Initiative, it will identify genetic variants associated with anotia/microtia in Hispanic and non-Hispanic individuals. Next, it will apply a rigorous machine learning technique to data from the National Birth Defects Prevention Study (N=699 cases with anotia/microtia and >10,000 controls without birth defects) to identify maternal exposures associated with anotia/microtia in Hispanic and non-Hispanic populations. Finally, it will perform an integrative assessment of the role of sociodemographic, genetic, and maternal factors in determining risk for anotia/microtia. In accomplishing these objectives, the study will: identify drivers of disparities in anotia/microtia among Hispanic populations; shed light on the etiology of anotia/microtia in diverse populations by characterizing genetic variants associated with this disease, which will be targets for future investigation; and identify potentially modifiable maternal exposures that could be used to facilitate prevention.


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: 2025 ( Subtotal = $760,914 )
2025	2025	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	002	3	4/27/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$760,914
2025	2024	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	001	2	4/27/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
2025	2024	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	000	2	2/18/2025	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$0
														Subtotal = $760,914

Issue Date FY: 2024 ( Subtotal = $758,779 )
2024	2024	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	001	2	2/21/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$701,821
2024	2024	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	002	2	6/2/2024	NON-COMPETING CONTINUATION	$54,586
2024	2023	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	000	1	1/18/2024	NEW	$2,372
														Subtotal = $758,779

Issue Date FY: 2023 ( Subtotal = $791,360 )
2023	2023	BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE	1 BAYLOR PLZ	HOUSTON	TX	77030	HARRIS	USA	Minority Health and Health Disparities Research	000	1	7/31/2023	NEW	$791,360
														Subtotal = $791,360

Grand Total All Awards = $2,311,053

Top

All Categories

About

Search

Reports

Data Submission

Award Information

Leveraging Ethnic Anotia-microtia Disparities for Discovery (LEADD) Study

Award Number: R01MD018577

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL CENTER ON MINORITY HEALTH AND HEALTH DISPARITIES

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

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

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 07/31/2023

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 02/29/2028

Federal Websites

Department of Health & Human Services

HHS Operating Divisions

HHS Staff Divisions

Download A Document Viewer