# Does social motivation in adolescence differentially predict the impact of childhood threat exposure on developing suicidal thoughts and behaviors

> **NIH NIH K23** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2024 · $184,453

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
 This goal of this K23 Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award is for the candidate
to gain expertise in childhood threat exposure, social motivation (SM), and risk for suicidal thoughts and
behaviors (STBs). Childhood threat exposure increases risk for STBs by affecting brain functioning associated
interpersonal stress. Adolescence is filled with interpersonal stress; yet, not all adolescents with childhood
threat exposure experience STBs, indicating that additional factors exacerbate risk. Identifying additional
factors that interact with threat to increase STBs is imperative for identifying novel suicide prevention target
mechanisms. This project will identify whether SM represents an additional factor that moderates the link
between childhood threat exposure and STBs. Training objectives for this award will include skill acquisition in:
(1) Developmental psychopathology models of childhood threat exposure and SM, (2) Neurobiological and
behavioral mechanisms of risk for STBs, and (3) Advanced intensive time series modeling of brain
connectivity. Training will facilitate the ability to conduct a study characterizing self-report, brain, and behavioral
measures of SM in adolescents (Aim 1) to examine whether maladaptive social motivation strengthens the link
between threat exposure and STBs (Aim 2). A final exploratory Aim 3 will allow for a preliminary investigation
into how puberty, biological sex, and age further moderate the interaction between threat exposure and SM on
STBs. This study will leverage two R01 projects to test Aims in two Cohorts; Cohort 1 (n = 220) includes early
adolescent females aged 9 – 16, while Cohort 2 (n = 275) consists of adolescent male and females aged 15-
18. Experts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Washington University St. Louis, and the
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will mentor and consult with the candidate on the 3 training goals of
this project: Margaret Sheridan Ph.D. & Adam Miller Ph.D. (Co-primary mentors), along with Karen Rudolph
Ph.D., Deanna Barch Ph.D., Katie Gates, Ph.D. (Scientific Advisors), and Eva Telzer, Ph.D. and Joan Luby,
M.D. (Consultants). This award provides the necessary training to become a unique, transdisciplinary
researcher at the intersection of clinical, social, and developmental neuroscience. In consultation with the
mentors, the candidate will use the training and the results of the research to inform the next steps in the
candidate’s program of research on childhood adversity, social motivation, and risk for STBs during
adolescence. Training and results from this award will also inform future R01 submission.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10920474
- **Project number:** 5K23MH135163-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Andrea Pelletier Baldelli
- **Activity code:** K23 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $184,453
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2023-09-15 → 2028-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10920474

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10920474, Does social motivation in adolescence differentially predict the impact of childhood threat exposure on developing suicidal thoughts and behaviors (5K23MH135163-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10920474. Licensed CC0.

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