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Your Environment. Your Health.

PROGRESS (Programming Research in Obesity, Growth, Environment and Social Stressors)

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Centre Mount Sinai
Contact
Robert O. Wright, M.D.
Professor and Vice Chair
Department of Preventive Medicine
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
robert.wright@mssm.edu
Description of Cohort Programming Research in Obesity, Growth, Environment and Social Stressors (PROGRESS) study is a collaboration between Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Harvard University and the National Institute of Public Health (INSP) in Mexico and is uniquely poised to conduct this research. PROGRESS uses state of the art methods in social science, epidemiology, and toxicology to assess transdisciplinary risk factors impacting neurodevelopment. PROGRESS may be the first birth cohort specifically designed to prospectively address the joint impact of chronic stress and toxic metals on child development.
Location of Cohort Mexico City, Mexico
Chemicals/Exposures Studied Chronic stress, toxic metals, air pollution
Health or Social Effects Studied Neurodevelopment, Obesity
Samples Collected Some of the samples collected are venous blood, urine, serum, saliva, hair, nails from both mother and child, as well as cord blood and placenta samples at the time of birth; to measure exposure to metals, endocrine disruptors (i.e. BPA, phthalates), chronic stress (cortisol) and also for the extraction DNA/RNA.
Questionnaires Questionnaires and tests applied collects information on stress (i.e. CRYSIS, Pregnancy Anxiety Scale, Edinburg Depression Scale), child’s neurodevelopment (i.e. Bayley, CAREY), FFQ (nutrition status) and other exposures or characteristics of the study population (i.e. smoking, SES index). This study also collects anthropometric measures (Inbody) and Tanner Staging for signs of puberty.  
Key Findings

Results to date:

  1. Demonstrate evidence of stress effects on infant development and stress X lead interactions, and
  2. Parallel animal research in which joint stress/lead exposure produces synergistic changes in posited underlying pathways (disrupted cortisol rhythms).
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