# Dissecting the genetic contributions to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

> **NIH NIH U01** · INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS · 2020 · $516,603

## Abstract

ABSTRACT
 While prenatal alcohol exposure is required for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) it is clear that there
is substantial variation in the clinical and physical manifestations of this teratogenic exposure. Even children
with similar prenatal alcohol exposure can have quite different outcomes. It is hypothesized that other factors,
some of which may be genetic, contribute to this variation.
 One of the significant challenges in studies of FASD is the ability to recruit large numbers of individuals in
order to evaluate broad hypotheses and obtain results that are generalizable to the overall population. This
clinical research project is designed to address this challenge by implementing innovative online approaches to
recruit and consent a large cohort of individuals suspected to have been exposed to alcohol prenatally. These
individuals will have the opportunity to participate in multiple assessments (saliva for DNA, 2D facial images,
neurobehavioral assessments) that will generate data used in several Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol
Disorders (CIFASD) projects. In addition, the individuals recruited into this online cohort can be recruited to
participate in other clinical research projects, including interventional studies proposed as part of CIFASD.
 Data obtained online from this new cohort will also be used to identify a subset of individuals with the most
extreme phenotypes resulting from prenatal alcohol exposure. DNA from a targeted subset of study subjects
will be used to obtain whole exome sequencing to efficiently identify novel risk and resilience factors related to
the phenotypic effects of prenatal alcohol exposure. Results will be shared and compared with CIFASD basic
research projects utilizing animal models to identify risk factors.
 This clinical research project is highly integrated within CIFASD and interacts closely with all four resources
as well as multiple clinical and basic research projects.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9938308
- **Project number:** 5U01AA026103-04
- **Recipient organization:** INDIANA UNIVERSITY INDIANAPOLIS
- **Principal Investigator:** TATIANA M. FOROUD
- **Activity code:** U01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $516,603
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2017-07-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9938308

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9938308, Dissecting the genetic contributions to fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (5U01AA026103-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9938308. Licensed CC0.

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