Research Support
2R01 HD083809-07A1. Intervention Strategies for Non-Folate Responsive Neural Tube Defects. 09/01/2021-08/31/2025
This NIH funded research grant will explore the importance of mitochondrial one carbon metabolism using the Mthfd1l knockout mouse to help inform our thinking about non-folate responsive neural tube defects.
R01HD093758-06. (NCE) The Role of GPR161 in the Etiology of Neural Tube Defects. 09/01/2018-06/30/2025 (NCE)
This NIH funded research grant is to provide the molecular, cellular, and genetic relationships of multiple gene networks that influence susceptibility to neural tube defects.
R01 HD098131-04A1. MicroRNA regulation of neural tube closure. 03/10/2020-02/28/2025
This NIH funded research grant is to explore the impact of miR-302 on the etiology of neural tube defects.
R01 HD100535-04. Role of Slc25a32 and Its Interaction with Lrp6 in the Etiology of Neural Tube Defects. 03/10/2020-02/28/2025
This NIH funded research grant is to provide the molecular, cellular, and genetic relationships of various gene networks and their impact on susceptibility to neural tube defects.
R01 HD111089-01A1. Understanding Genetic Complexity in Spina Bifida. 09/12/2023-08/31/2028
This newly funded NIH grant continues our collaboration with Dr. M. Elisabeth Ross at Weill Cornell Medical College that will add new genome data focusing on case-parent trios and further develop novel genomic search strategies that avoid selection bias to drill down to yield human-relevant hypotheses of disease risk, of inherited or de novo origin, that can be functionally tested. The goal is to identify genes with the greatest effect size, and ultimately find gene-gene interactions-likely occurring within or between pathways—that lead to spina bifida.
P42 ES0327725-05. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons; Ultrasensitive detection, early life exposures-clinical outcomes (preterm births, chronic lung disease, and neurocognitive deficits), prevention and remediation. Dr. Bhagavatula Moorthy (PI). Dr. Finnell is the Training Core Co-Director. 02/01/2020-01/31/2025
Pioneer techniques for detection and remediation of PAHs in Houston SuperFund, and assess their effects on lung disease and preterm births.
R01 HD100229-05. Plausible Causative Mechanism for Dolutegravir Developmental Toxicity. 11/01/2019-10/31/2024
This NIH funded research program is to determine the teratogenic mechanism of action for the ART medication Dolutegravir focusing on the folate transport gene products.
R01 ES034713-04. Interdisciplinary approaches for understanding how arsenic and micronutrients affect the epigenome to influence spina bifida risk 01/2023-12/2025. Dr. Maitreyi Mazumdar (PI)
The goal of this NIH funded research program is to develop a better understanding of the interplay of epigenetics, nutrition, and environmental arsenic exposure will inform strategies to prevent and treat neural tube defects. In this proposal, we establish a new basic science-clinical science consortium to assess whether arsenic induces recognizable DNA methylation changes at loci critical for normal neural tube closure.
R01 ES032552-02. The interplay of early life exposure to environmental pollutants and folate system in the etiology of autistic behaviors. 11/01/2023-10/31/28
This newly funded research program with Dr. Youssef Oulhote (PI) is to develop novel methods for the analysis of the role of maternal autoantibodies directed at the folate receptor (FOLR1) and perhaps other relevant enzymes and transporters in the one carbon metabolic pathway, in order to gain a better understanding of their role during embryonic development.