# Epigenetic mechanisms linking discrimination stress with coronary heart disease in minoritized individuals

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL · 2024 · $57,303

## Abstract

Project Summary
Psychosocial stress has been repeatedly associated with immune dysregulation and increased risk for
coronary heart disease (CHD), but the mechanisms underlying this association remain unclear. Our parent
grant (R01HL163031) investigates this relationship by focusing on DNA methylation (DNAm), one of the critical
epigenetic mechanisms and a proposed key link between environmental exposures and human health. Using
multi-ancestry human cohorts participating in the NHLBI Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TOPMed)
program, we identify stress-associated DNAm sites predictive of incident CHD. Employing human cell models,
we further investigate the mechanistic role of these sites in immune cell function. The proposed research
supplement seeks to expand this line of research by further investigating the relationship between
discrimination stress and CHD, specifically in minoritized individuals, a population group that is subjected to a
higher stress burden and is disproportionately affected by CHD. Leveraging the Jackson Heart Study, a cohort
of African American or Black individuals with a wealth of longitudinal phenotypic and DNAm data, this project
aims to investigate how stress in minoritized and disadvantaged populations influences the perpetuation of
CHD disparities by pursuing two distinct but complementary specific aims: 1) Identify the genomic site-specific
DNAm signatures associated with discrimination stress and CHD in Black individuals; and 2) mechanistically
dissect how stress-driven DNAm signatures become established and shape immune cell function relevant to
CHD in diverse donors. These aims will expand the scope of prior work examining cohorts of primarily
European ancestry to include individuals with more diverse backgrounds and will also illuminate the
relationship between discrimination stress and CHD outcomes. Dissecting the epigenetic mechanisms linking
psychosocial stress with disease risk can create opportunities for novel predictive models and therapeutic
targets to enhance personalized CHD prevention and treatment in high-risk minoritized populations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 11101039
- **Project number:** 3R01HL163031-03S1
- **Recipient organization:** UNIV OF NORTH CAROLINA CHAPEL HILL
- **Principal Investigator:** Anthony S. Zannas
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $57,303
- **Award type:** 3
- **Project period:** 2024-09-01 → 2025-03-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11101039

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 11101039, Epigenetic mechanisms linking discrimination stress with coronary heart disease in minoritized individuals (3R01HL163031-03S1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-08-11 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/11101039. Licensed CC0.

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