# Sensory Mechanisms of Cadmium-Induced Behavioral Disorders Across Generations

> **NIH NIH R00** · UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI CORAL GABLES · 2023 · $50,237

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
An area of needed exploration is environmentally-induced behavioral disorders. Studies show Cadmium (Cd)
toxicity can manifest as behavioral disorders, cognitive challenges, and vision deficiencies in humans, but the
pathway for these adverse effects is unknown. Its long biological half-life exacerbates the importance of
understanding how early-life Cd exposure impacts later life outcomes and future generations. The parent grant
has two aims focused on gaining a mechanistic understanding of cadmium-induced behavioral disorders
across generations.
Specific Aim 1: Identify the disrupted neural circuitry underlying cadmium-induced visuo-behavioral deficits
using whole-brain activity mapping.
Specific Aim 2: Inter- and transgenerational effects of cadmium-induced behavioral disorders.
The parent grant for this proposal is R00ES030398 to launch Dr. Delia Shelton’s career as an independent
scientific investigator as an Assistant professor in the Department of Biology at University of Miami, where she
draws on her scientific background in animal behavior, toxicology, neuroscience and genomics. Dr. Shelton
has extensive experience in understanding behavioral phenotyping and cadmium toxicity which is completed
by professional skills in mentoring that she gained in her graduate studies and during the K99 phase of the
grant, permitting her to become a successful independent researcher and leader in behavioral toxicology. In
her new laboratory, Dr. Shelton proposes to test the hypothesis that chronic human dietary-relevant Cd
exposure leads to visuo-behavioral disorders later in life and across generations. In the proposed supplement,
Dr. Shelton will mentor the Diversity Supplement candidate, Myles Covington, in pursuing a research project
that complements and extends the aims of the parent grant, thereby creating a unique opportunity. The focus
of this application submitted under PA-21-071 “Research Supplements to Promote Diversity in Health-Related
Research” is to support the research training and career development of Myles Covington through studying the
potential therapeutic effects of selenium supplementation for dietary cadmium-induced toxicity on visually-
guided behavior. Research and career development activities are proposed to expand their technical skill set,
enhance their knowledge in toxicology, molecular biology and genomics, and provide opportunities for
professional development including networking disseminating science at conferences and through peer-
reviewed publications, which will enhance their ability to pursue a PhD in toxico-genomics.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10747559
- **Project number:** 3R00ES030398-04S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI CORAL GABLES
- **Principal Investigator:** Delia S Shelton
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $50,237
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2023-02-25 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10747559

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10747559, Sensory Mechanisms of Cadmium-Induced Behavioral Disorders Across Generations (3R00ES030398-04S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-12 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10747559. Licensed CC0.

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