# Environmental bisphenol exposure, infant brain and behavior: Human and animal models

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES · 2021 · $639,632

## Abstract

This proposal leverages the infrastructure of longitudinal birth cohort study (the Fair Start Cohort within the
Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health) and supplements our investigation of the effects of
prenatal bisphenol (BP) exposure on infant nervous system functioning and attention and maternal caregiving
(R01ES030950) within the cohort. Prior animal studies show adverse effects of BP exposure on offspring brain
development and mother-infant interaction; the R01 seeks to extend these findings to humans. This
Administrative Supplement investigates the effects of exposure to experiences of discrimination and COVID-
19-related stress on peripartum depression (PeriPD) and sleep health in these same women. PeriPD and
sleep disturbances are common in the perinatal period and negatively affect mother-infant interaction and child
health outcomes. Nonetheless etiology of PeriPD and poor sleep health are unclear. Experiences of
discrimination and COVID-19-related stress, which burden disproportionately people from racial/ethnic minority
and economically disadvantaged backgrounds, have been shown to increase the risk for poor mental and
sleep health. Nonetheless, their independent and synergistic role in the perinatal period has not been
thoroughly investigated. Understanding upstream risk factors for maternal perinatal mental health and sleep
health may provide actionable information to develop prevention and intervention strategies. The funded R01
recruits pregnant women from low income, ethnic/racial minority backgrounds from obstetric clinics associated
with Columbia Presbyterian Hospital. In this underrepresented population, the risk for PeriPD and poor sleep
health is high. This proposal will fund the assessment of PeriPD (self-report of symptoms, prenatal psychiatric
interview), neural correlates of PeriPD (fMRI), and subjective and objective measures of sleep health (self-
report of sleep quality, 1-week actigraphy, and 2 days sleep EEG monitoring). We will then investigate
associations between experiences of discrimination and COVID-19-related stress and the measured outcomes
in a sample of Latinx women from low income backgrounds who are at high risk of exposure to discrimination
and COVID-19-related stress. We hypothesize that increased exposure to discrimination and COVID-19-
related stress will be associated with increased depression and poorer sleep health in the postpartum period.
Our plan is consistent with goals of the Notice of Special interest NOT-OD-21-071 targeting “psychosocial and
behavioral health risk factors related to the COVID-19 pandemic that affect maternal mental health and
functioning outcome and the impact of structural racism and discrimination (SRD) on maternal health outcomes
in the context of COVID-19”. This proposal fills a critical gap in understanding the impact of discrimination and
COVID-19-related stress on PeriPD and sleep in mothers from low income, ethnic/racial minority backgrounds
at high ris...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10393372
- **Project number:** 3R01ES030950-02S1
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SCIENCES
- **Principal Investigator:** AMY MARGOLIS
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $639,632
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2020-09-10 → 2023-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10393372

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10393372, Environmental bisphenol exposure, infant brain and behavior: Human and animal models (3R01ES030950-02S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10393372. Licensed CC0.

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