# Ambient Air Pollution, Stress, Oxidative Markers and Respiratory Health in Mexican Children

> **NIH NIH R00** · ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI · 2020 · $247,792

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
I am an environmental epidemiologist with a primary research interest in the role of developmental windows,
joint impact of multiple exposures and molecular mechanisms through which prenatal/early-life exposure to
chemical and non-chemical stressors influence children's lung development. The goal of this proposal is to
obtain training in the skills needed to continue to build my academic career by linking ambient air pollution and
stress to lung development and to identify biomarkers of early biological effects of these exposures.
Formal coursework and the expert mentorship of Drs. Rosalind Wright, Andrea Baccarelli, Robert Wright,
Maria Martha Tellez-Rojo, Brent Coull, Alfin Vicencio and Allan Just will enable me to acquire the knowledge
and skills necessary to become an independent transdisciplinary researcher. This training will allow me to
achieve my long-term career goals: taking the lead in studying respiratory health in the ongoing Mexico City
PROGRESS cohort in order to examine these and other environmental exposures, their biological
mechanisms, and the subsequent effects on lung function and asthma risk longitudinally as these children
grow up. All relevant exposure and covariate data exist in an existing well-phenotyped pregnancy cohort
[Programming Research in Obesity, Growth, Environment and Social Stressors (PROGRESS) study leveraged
herein. I will add respiratory phenotyping to the cohort. Specifically I will 1) train in state of the art stress
assessment as well as fetal and early childhood lung development and physiology with Dr. RJ Wright, 2) train
in early biologic markers of oxidative stress in Dr. Baccarelli's lab, 3) train in advanced statistical methods that
temporal resolved daily to weekly assessed exposure data to definitively identify susceptibility windows to
enhance our ability to find effects and identify vulnerable groups with Dr. Brent Coull, 4) integrate research on
stress, air pollution and molecular epidemiology through interactions with my mentorship team to become an
interdisciplinary scientist and 5) translate the research and administrative training I receive to establish myself
as a independent investigator with a tenure track faculty position and to position myself for a future R01.
This proposal will address gaps in the understanding of timing and mechanism through which air pollution
exposure and stress affect respiratory health in early childhood. This proposed research and training plan
builds the foundation for an independent research career that aims to clarify the mechanisms through which
ambient air pollution and stress are associated with respiratory morbidity and ultimately inform
intervention/prevention efforts. This study is also highly cost effective as we leverage the resources of the
PROGRESS study with existing biospecimens, environmental and psychosocial stress data.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9838221
- **Project number:** 5R00ES027496-04
- **Recipient organization:** ICAHN SCHOOL OF MEDICINE AT MOUNT SINAI
- **Principal Investigator:** Maria Jose Rosa
- **Activity code:** R00 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $247,792
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-12-15 → 2021-11-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9838221

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9838221, Ambient Air Pollution, Stress, Oxidative Markers and Respiratory Health in Mexican Children (5R00ES027496-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-22 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9838221. Licensed CC0.

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