Doctoral Dissertation Research: Endocrine disruptors and developmental programming in humans

This award is funded in whole or in part under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (Public Law 117-2).

Understanding the role of the natural and cultural environments in early life growth and development is important for advancing knowledge about human biological variation and plasticity. This doctoral dissertation project utilizes a biocultural framework to investigate early life exposure to endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs), which may have longer-term consequences for human physiological function.

The investigator is examining the impacts of EDC exposure on infant hormonal profiles, adding to an understanding of global and temporal patterns in exposure to EDCs as well as the sensitivity of the developing endocrine system to EDCs. The project provides training in a STEM field to a female graduate student and involves outreach in a local community.

The researcher is also creating informational reports to deliver to stakeholders and is collaborating with local organizations to generate recommendations for policy change based on the results of the study. The project also includes science outreach to middle school students and the general public through various science communication initiatives.

The primary aim of this study is to quantify the effect of EDC exposure on infant hormonal profiles in different environments. Using a novel, nontargeted metabolomics approach, the investigator is quantifying EDC exposures across three biological matrices and two environmental sampling methods from mother-infant dyads. The investigator is drawing upon theoretical frameworks employed in biocultural research to understand and interpret the impacts of EDC exposure.

The project builds on the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease Hypothesis by investigating the sensitivity of the developing endocrine system to EDCs using hormonal and exposure profiles. From an Evolutionary Medicine perspective, the project also addresses whether current sources and levels of EDCs overwhelm evolved defenses to environmental exposures, creating an evolutionary mismatch.

Incorporating the concept of Locally Situated Biologies, the project includes collection of qualitative data to contextualize how patterns of exposure to EDCs as well as their health consequences are influenced by aspects of the local context.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.