# Oral microbiome establishment and development of Latinx Children at the US-Mexico border

> **NIH NIH K01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES · 2023 · $139,185

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Early life interactions between the microbiome and its human host are responsible for an array of immune
functions and future health outcomes. It is essential to study this period during early life when the oral
microbiome changes from highly dynamic infant microbiota towards a more stable adult-like microbiota. The
oral microbiome plays an essential role in oral and systemic health. As such, the study of the oral microbiome
may serve as a harbinger for children’s health. Understanding the establishment and early development of the
oral microbiome, and its association with the early childhood caries (ECC), may provide innovative solutions for
personalized, predictive, and preventive pediatric dentistry. This Mentored Research Development Award K01
study seeks to understand the dynamic changes of the oral microbiome during the first three years of life
among children who were born along the United States (US)-Mexico border. These children experience a high
risk of dental caries and other oral diseases; therefore, providing a complex environment for the microbiome.
The study aims are: (1) to understand the establishment of newborn oral microbiome among Latinx/Hispanic
children living along the US-Mexico border by using salivary samples at prenatal (from mother), 4-, 9-, 12-, 24-,
36-months to characterize their oral microbiome establishment from birth to a full set of twenty primary teeth;
(2) to compare children’s oral microbiome composition between control and treatment groups (mothers
received therapeutic three-month regimen of chlorhexidine mouth rinse to reduce the bacteria that causes
tooth decay when their children were between the ages of four to six months) while both groups received oral
health counseling; and (3) to develop statistical expertise in modeling the changes of oral microbiota and their
association with ECC controlling for confounding factors. This proposed research will use three recently
developed Bayesian-based ML algorithms to model the temporal patterns of the oral microbiome and evaluate
their ability to predict ECC. The K01 will support Dr. Yan Wang to develop expertise in: (1) oral microbiome
development in early childhood, (2) statistical analysis for oral microbiome data, and (3) biomarker discoveries
using saliva samples. To achieve these training goals and research activities, Dr. Wang has assembled a
highly qualified mentorship team with substantial experience in mentoring early-career investigators and with
expertise in oral microbiome research among children. Dr. Wang’s primary mentors at UCLA, Dr. Grace
Aldrovandi (School of Medicine) and Dr. David Wong (School of Dentistry), are highly experienced NIH-funded
investigators. Co-mentor Dr. Francisco Ramos-Gomez (School of Dentistry) is a leading expert in pediatric oral
health, especially among Latinx/Hispanic children. The proposed research and training aims will build strong
research capacities and collaborations for Dr. Yan Wang. In ad...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10644580
- **Project number:** 1K01DE032775-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA LOS ANGELES
- **Principal Investigator:** Yan Wang
- **Activity code:** K01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $139,185
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2023-07-01 → 2028-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10644580

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10644580, Oral microbiome establishment and development of Latinx Children at the US-Mexico border (1K01DE032775-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-23 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10644580. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*