Research
Cardenas Lab Grants
Influence of exposure to a mixture of PFAS and metals on the developing immune system
Childhood immunizations are a cornerstone of public health prevention with enormous health and societal benefits. This study will investigate if prenatal and early childhood exposure to metals and PFAS, two common environmental contaminants, influence the developing immune system and response to childhood immunizations. Findings from this study will inform public health prevention strategies and risk assessment of multiple contaminants. NIH Project Page
Common and distinct influences of prenatal and postnatal early-life adversity on epigenomic trajectories in Mexican American children
In the U.S., the childhood obesity epidemic disproportionally impacts minority communities, particularly Hispanic children. Minority populations face multiple psychosocial stressors at the individual, household and community level that are associated with increased obesity risk. This research will establish the biological embedment of early-life adversity at the individual, household and community level on epigenetic marks, with the goal of developing early-life biomarkers of risk. NIH Project Page
Prenatal and postnatal exposure to environmental mixtures: Neurodevelopment and DNA methylation biomarkers
Childhood decrements in neurocognitive development result in large population burden and expenditure. The proposed research will identify the extent to which prenatal and postnatal neurotoxic mixtures as well as key prenatal nutrients jointly influence neurocognitive development in childhood. This research will provide early life biomarkers that reconstruct prenatal exposures and predict childhood neurocognitive performance with the goal of developing novel and early-life interventions to protect children. NIH Project Page
Early life influences on Epigenetic Aging in Mexican-American children
Age acceleration, the difference between one’s biological age determined by their epigenetic clock, and one’s chronological age has been associated with age-related conditions like pubertal development, obesity, and cancer. In this proposal, we will use state of the art methodologies to estimate epigenetic clocks in Mexican- American children participating in the CHAMACOS study and identify early life factors during pregnancy and at birth (gestational age and birthweight) that may affect epigenetic age acceleration during childhood. Understanding the factors that impact age acceleration will help us elucidate the biological and developmental processes that influence age-related phenotypes. NIH Project Page
Programming of Epigenetic Clocks and Biomarkers from Early-life Arsenic Exposure
In the U.S. and around the world, millions of people are exposed to arsenic in their drinking water, a known human carcinogen. This study will investigate if arsenic exposure in early-life alters epigenetic biomarkers of aging and disease risk decades later, that could help target prevention efforts during critical windows of development. This work will characterize the impact of early-life arsenic exposure on epigenetic biomarkers of disease susceptibility and mortality decades later in adulthood. NIH Project Page