# Understanding the role of prenatal chemical exposure influences on child externalizing behaviors: Incorporating genetic influences

> **NIH NIH F32** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2021 · $65,994

## Abstract

Project Abstract/Summary
Externalizing behaviors in childhood are detrimental to building prosocial connections, achieving academically,
and maintaining positive mental health. Therefore, it is crucial to identify factors that increase children’s risk for
externalizing behaviors. Prenatal chemical exposures (e.g., phthalates, organophosphorus pesticides, lead)
have been associated with increased risk for child externalizing behaviors. However, much of this work
examines the influence of single chemical exposures, with less research considering the real-life prenatal
context of simultaneous exposures to multiple chemicals that could compound risk for child development.
Moreover, to a large extent, studies have ignored the importance of genetic risk and gene-environment
interplay. Genetically informed designs have the potential to contribute to our understanding of the
mechanisms by which prenatal chemicals may influence child behavior. The current proposal will address
these gaps in the literature, making use of two existing longitudinal studies of child development, The Mount
Sinai Children’s Environmental Health Study, and the Twin Study of Behavioral and Emotional Development –
Child. The research goals of this fellowship are: (1) Using a person-centered, Latent Profile analytic approach,
to examine how patterns of prenatal chemical exposures increase risk for externalizing behaviors in a
longitudinal multiethnic cohort of pregnant women, and (2) Using a genetically informed design, to examine
how prenatal chemical exposure moderates the etiology of child externalizing behaviors in a disadvantaged
twin sample. The interdisciplinary approach of this proposed fellowship will refine a conceptual model that
integrates genetic and prenatal environmental influences on child externalizing behaviors.
The proposed fellowship will provide additional training to: (1) gain experience in environmental epidemiology,
(2) gain experience in exposure mixture modeling, (3) develop an integrated conceptual model of the ways in
which the prenatal environment moderates genetic and environmental influences on child social development,
(4) strengthen networking, research dissemination, and grant writing skills, and (5) obtain additional training in
the responsible conduct of research. This fellowship will augment my existing training in social contexts for
child behavioral development with focused research and training in environmental epidemiology and behavioral
genetics. Therefore, this work will support my career goal of becoming an independent researcher at the
intersection of multiple fields crucial to the understanding of child behavioral development (developmental
psychology, environmental epidemiology, and behavioral genetics).

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10232079
- **Project number:** 5F32ES031832-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Amanda Marie Ramos
- **Activity code:** F32 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $65,994
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-08-01 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10232079

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10232079, Understanding the role of prenatal chemical exposure influences on child externalizing behaviors: Incorporating genetic influences (5F32ES031832-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10232079. Licensed CC0.

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