Aug 24, 2018

The National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities has awarded a grant entitled “Add Health Epigenome Resource: Life Course Stressors and Epigenomic Modifications in Adulthood” to CPC Fellows Kathleen Mullan Harris and Allison Aiello. This funding will allow researchers to investigate the influence of psychosocial exposures on epigenetic processes and their effects on markers of health and disease-specifically, cardiometabolic health and mental health in US populations.

Over the course of its 5 years of funding, the 3.5 million dollar grant will support the research of DNA methylation and gene expression relevant to life course psychosocial stressors among participants in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Health (Add Health). This grant will produce an unprecedented epigenetic resource that will be available the global scientific community to study how life course exposures and epigenetic modifications lead to inequalities in health and disease  in the largest nationally representative racially and ethnically diverse longitudinal study of young people.

Harris and Aiello are Carolina Population Center Faculty Fellows. Harris is James Haar Distinguished Professor of UNC’s Department of Sociology and Adjunct Professor of Public Policy. Aiello is Professor of UNC’s Department of Epidemiology.