CCCEH-3: Enhancing the impact of three generations of environmental health studies in NYC.

Columbia University Health Sciences, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

Since 1998, the Columbia Center for Children’s Environmental Health (CCCEH) has recruited and followed serial longitudinal birth cohorts based in and around our university in the Northern Manhattan area of New York City. Comprised of local residents, our cohorts represent a population that has been historically overlooked and with limited presence in research. Specifically, we have followed our Mother and Newborns (M/N) cohort, consisting of 727 mother-child pairs who were recruited between 1998 and 2006. The M/N participants are now reaching critical life stages, with mothers transitioning to perimenopause and menopause and children to adulthood (currently 17-25 years old, some having children/offspring of their own- M/N/G -grandchildren). The “aging” of our cohorts provides a novel opportunity to study three generations of participants, each with their own unique contribution to environmental health sciences and collectively providing an opportunity to understand multigenerational health. To meet this goal, there are three separate activities described in this application. In Aim 1, we will maintain, retain, and engage the Mothers and Newborns cohort participants (both Mothers and adult “Newborns”), which will lay the foundations for multigenerational research to include Grandchildren/Offspring. We will build new partnerships with other birth cohorts who are also following three generations. In Aim 2, we will continue to engage local community partners (including our Youth Council and our Experience Council) to address existing and emerging environmental health themes as well as building a new collaboration with an international team of scientists with expertise in science communication. In this aim, we will continue and expand the impact of the Community Outreach and Translation Core (COTC). In Aim 3, we will update our data and cohort management systems to meet the growth of the CCCEH and to enhance data and biospecimen sharing with researchers and trainees within and outside of Columbia University.