Grantee Research Project Results
2024 Progress Report: UNC Center for Early Life Exposures And Neurotoxicity (UNC CLEAN)
EPA Grant Number: R840219Title: UNC Center for Early Life Exposures And Neurotoxicity (UNC CLEAN)
Investigators: Engel, Stephanie M. , Fry, Rebecca , Gray, Kathleen , Keil, Alex , Li, Gang , Li, Tengfei , Lin, Weili , Lu, Kun , Rager, Julia , Graves, Neasha , Starling, Anne
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
EPA Project Officer: Hahn, Intaek
Project Period: July 1, 2021 through May 8, 2025
Project Period Covered by this Report: July 1, 2023 through June 30,2024
Project Amount: $1,894,823
RFA: Center for Early Lifestage Vulnerabilities to Environmental Stressors (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Children's Health , Endocrine Disruptors
Objective:
The vision of the UNC Center for Early Life Exposures And Neurotoxicity (UNC CLEAN) is to provide new knowledge on the role of early life phthalate exposures on neurobehavioral development, discover the underlying neural substrates that link phthalate exposures to developmental outcomes, and translate interdisciplinary science to community stakeholders.
Progress Summary:
In year three we completed statistical analysis of 17 phthalate and replacement plasticizer metabolites and published a manuscript describing these results in Environmental Research. Data have been made public and have been posted through the UNC Dataverse. Enriched non-targeted analysis of the urinary exposome has been completed and statistical analyses and identification efforts are ongoing. We developed a strategy for chemical prioritization for identification in the urinary exposome data and have submitted a manuscript for publication describing our methodology. We presented two abstracts describing preliminary results of early life phthalate exposure with structural brain development (Werder et. al), and prenatal phthalate exposure with fetal brain development (Engel et. al) at the International Society of Environmental Epidemiology.
The Translation co-convened the Children’s Health Advisory Team (CHAT). The TC also convened 4 meetings of the NC Lead and Healthy Homes Outreach Task Force. The TC also piloted a professional development workshop highlighting phthalate sources, potential health impacts, and risk reduction strategies. This interactive session incorporated professional and personal exposure, and was piloted to 16 Triangle-area participants including 9 childcare providers.
The Administrative Core held quarterly meetings of administrative and center personnel, and an annual meeting of the Scientific Advisory Board (SAB), in which center investigators presented on their year 3 progress to SAB members.
Future Activities:
In the upcoming year, we anticipate completing multiple papers on the relationship between phthalates and postnatal imaging features and developmental tests. In the upcoming year, the TC will continue to convene quarterly meetings of the NC Lead and Healthy Homes Outreach Task Force, the CHAT, and will support one PHE intern in spring 2025.
Journal Articles:
No journal articles submitted with this report: View all 1 publications for this projectRelevant Websites:
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.