Current Studies
Does stress impact melatonin signaling and sleep in pregnancy?
Description: We are interested in how stressful experiences of discrimination impact sleep in pregnancy. We closely follow pregnant people who the second trimester of their pregnancy until their children are 1 year of age. This study is completed mostly remotely and recruiting participants form the community who identify as Latinx/Hispanic/Latino.
Funding: Vagelos College of Physicians & Surgeons (VP&S) Grants Program for Junior Faculty Who Contribute to the Diversity Goals of the University
PI: Lugo-Candelas
Do maternal sleep problems in pregnancy impact the developing fetus? If so, does inflammation mediate this relationship?
Description: We explore the role that prenatal maternal sleep plays in babies’ neurodevelopment and whether inflammation from sleep-restriction has an effect in this relationship. Pregnant people participating in the study wear watches that monitor their activity and sleep patterns in the comfort of their own home, while also reporting their sleep routine to us. We also measure prenatal inflammation through saliva, and children’s development from newborn to toddlers via brain imaging (MRI), assessments, and interviews.
Funding: Brain and Behavior Research Foundation (NARSAD) Young Investigator Award
PI: Lugo-Candelas
Is obesity in pregnancy a risk factor for ADHD? If so, is maternal inflammation the culprit?
Description: Obesity during pregnancy could be associated with ADHD symptoms later in a child’s life. Obesity is associated with low (but persistent over time) inflammation throughout the body, which can be measured in saliva. With this in mind, we want to know whether the inflammation seen in obesity is a key piece within this puzzle. To evaluate all of this, we collect data on pregnant peoples’ body composition and monitor the development of their children by imaging the childrens’ brains when they are only a few weeks old. At two years of age, we measure ADHD-related inhibitory control (as in the ability to control impulses, such as resisting the temptation of biting into a piece of candy) through behavioral measures and interviews.
Funding: K08 MH117452
PI: Lugo-Candelas
Does cannabis use in pregnancy impact the developing fetal brain?
Description: To see how prenatal cannabis use impacts babies’ brain development, we closely follow pregnant people who do and do not consume cannabis from the beginning of their pregnancy until their children are two years of age. This study is particularly novel, as we will be imaging babies while they are still in utero. This will allow us to understand the impact of cannabis exposure in a key moment in development, when the babies have only had contact with the in-utero environment.
Funding: R01 MH119510
MPIs: Lugo-Candelas, Ouellet, & Posner
How does exposure to air pollution in pregnancy shape children’s brains? Does it increase risk for ADHD?
Description: Although contact with air pollution has been associated with abnormal development of children’s brains, little is known about how this happens. Is brain development affected by contact with air pollution before or after birth? What does this different development entail? We will dive into prenatal exposure to air pollution and brain development to answer these questions. To do so, we will look into air pollution shown in existing data or detected with portable sensors, while monitoring children’s cognitive development and ADHD symptoms through brain imaging, games, and interviews during early infancy and childhood. To make sure that other factors are not influencing this relationship, we will take into consideration the pollution exposure after children are born and other important aspects, such as genetic risk for ADHD. We will also look into maternal inflammation, sleep deficits, and babies’ sex.
Funding: TBA
PI: Lugo-Candelas