Applications of methods in collaborative science

National Institute Of Environmental Health Sciences

Investigators

Linked publications & trials

Abstract

Another area of ongoing collaboration with Fred Miller (NIEHS) has to do with ANA in relation to subsequent cause-specific mortality and that paper is undergoing review. We have another set of projects based on collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Medical Birth Registry of Norway. We have analyzed seasonal effects on preterm birth in Norway and another paper was published this year, which reports findings from our analysis of season of conception in relation to preeclampsia. There is a strong effect of season of conception on risk, with the highest risk being in spring conceptions. The seasonal pattern is seen consistently across strata based on smoking status, region, and parity. In work collaborative with a student at UNC we explored genetic variants related to nitric oxide signaling and carbon monoxide in relation to preeclampsia, using a family-based design. Another project had to do with air pollution and effects on inflammatory pathways that may be mediated by methylation. We found short-term effects (within 24 hours) based on a panel study of healthy students in Shanghai and are now considering long-term effects of ambient levels, using US data from the Sister Study.