# Integrative metabolomic characterization of ADHD and asthma comorbidity

> **NIH NIH K01** · BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL · 2020 · $178,200

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Su H. Chu, PhD, MS is a biostatistician and molecular epidemiologist with strong and substantial commitments
to integrative omic research in respiratory and neurodevelopmental disease. Her career objective is to become
an independent investigator with expertise in developing and applying novel statistical methods and multiomic
network approaches that facilitate mechanistic understanding of the intersection of respiratory and
neurodevelopmental disease. This proposal combines Dr. Chu’s extensive training in integrative omic methods
development, along with her experience in genetic and metabolomic research, to examine the integrative
metabolomic etiology of asthma and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder overlap (AAO). A wealth of
epidemiological literature has revealed with remarkable consistency that asthmatic patients are at greater risk
for ADHD, and vice versa, with a number of longitudinal studies of childhood asthma indicating excess risk of
ADHD in adolescence and adulthood. However, no studies have directly interrogated the biological mechanisms
by which these conditions may be related. The central hypothesis of this proposal is that childhood asthma and
ADHD share both common and distinct dysregulated metabolic processes, some of which may have drivers that
are genetic in origin. This will be explored using existing genetic and metabolomic data from the Childhood
Asthma Management Program (CAMP), the Vitamin D Antenatal Asthma Reduction Trial (VDAART), and the
Copenhagen Prospective Studies on Asthma in Childhood 2010 (COPSAC), three large prospective cohorts of
children with extensive longitudinal phenotyping and multiple omic data types, by identifying metabolites and
metabolic profiles associated with AAO (aim 1), constructing multiomic models and features that characterize
dysregulated metabolic processes and their upstream drivers in AAO (aim 2), and validation and replication of
all findings (aim 3). As Dr. Chu completes these aims, her career development program will facilitate the
achievement of her primary training goals: 1) increase clinical understanding of ADHD and asthma diagnosis
and treatment; 2) gain a nuanced understanding of best methods for, and practical experience in, the biological
and statistical integration of genetic and metabolomic data; 3) develop skills in machine learning and integrative
network methods for multiomic analysis; 4) strengthen current areas of experience to stay on the cutting edge of
new analytic and study design techniques; and 5) enhance skills in mentorship, teaching, and the responsible
conduct and communication of research. The support of a diverse mentoring team comprised of world experts
in the fields of asthma and psychiatric genetics, metabolomics, integrative omics, and statistics, along with her
strong quantitative training and the vibrant intellectual community of Harvard Medical School and the Brigham
and Women’s Hospital, ensure the success of this prop...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10041169
- **Project number:** 1K01HL153941-01
- **Recipient organization:** BRIGHAM AND WOMEN'S HOSPITAL
- **Principal Investigator:** Su Hee Chu
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $178,200
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10041169

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10041169, Integrative metabolomic characterization of ADHD and asthma comorbidity (1K01HL153941-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10041169. Licensed CC0.

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