# Effects of Acculturation on Gestational Biology in Mexican-American Pregnant Women

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2021 · $88,105

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
THIS PROPOSAL seeks additional salary support to compensate for career development activities missed due to
COVID-19 disruptions from campus and daycare closures. There are no proposed changes to the research plan.
RESEARCH SUMMARY. An important issue relates to the underlying cause(s) of epidemiologic observations that
Latino immigrants exhibit a progressive decline in health (particularly obesity) over time and across generations. I
suggest that the intergenerational escalation in obesity rates could be a consequence of acculturation-related
biological changes in women. During pregnancy, these changes may be transmitted to the next generation (fetus)
to influence offspring phenotypes that determine susceptibility for obesity (adiposity). A necessary step towards
investigating this hypothesis is determining whether acculturation is associated with changes in aspects of
gestational biology involved in fetal programming of adiposity. Also, I suggest that inconsistencies in the
acculturation-health literature may relate to limitations of operationalization of the acculturation construct and
failure to consider the modifying role of social context. Findings from this project will reveal new information
about health status of vulnerable populations, which could lead to new avenues for early identification of at-risk
individuals and prevention strategies to limit intergenerational perpetuation of disadvantage and poor health. I am
on track to complete all the original K01 project aims by end of the award period. I already acquired NIDDK R03
funding and published 12 papers during my K01 period, with 2 more in peer review.
ENVIRONMENT SUMMARY. At UCLA, I have my own biological laboratory located in the Life Sciences building,
where I can process and store biosamples collected in my K01 research activities. Based in the UCLA Department
of Anthropology and the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology, I have myriad resources, including an
inter-disciplinary team of senior investigators to provide an intellectually productive environment, research staff,
office, and laboratory facilities, and experiential education in state-of-the-art methods in human biology.
CANDIDATE SUMMARY. I am primarily interested in the concepts of biological embedding of socio-ecological
conditions, and the fetal origins of health and disease paradigm. My career goal is to become an independent
investigator in human developmental biology with R01 funding, addressing key questions related to how an
individual’s social and environmental ecology influences biological systems, and how biological links between
generations affect the development of homeostatic mechanisms associated with chronic disease risk.
CAREER DEVELOPMENT PLAN SUMMARY. I conducted formal coursework during Years 1-2 of the K01 award
period. I am mentored by a team of prominent experts in their respective fields, led by Profs. Pathik Wadhwa
(pre-transition of K-award from UCI to UCLA) and Christine Dunkel Sc...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10386595
- **Project number:** 3K01DK105110-06S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Molly Maurer Fox
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $88,105
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2015-06-15 → 2022-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10386595

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10386595, Effects of Acculturation on Gestational Biology in Mexican-American Pregnant Women (3K01DK105110-06S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-28 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10386595. Licensed CC0.

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