Award
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development 5R01HD105771-05
Stress modeling of the human sperm sncRNA transcriptome and causal importance of dynamic miRNA in reproductive and developmental outcomes
Recipient
University of Colorado Denver, Aurora, CO
Award Amount
$738,362.00
Ceiling
$738,362.00
Awarded
June 25, 2026
Identifier
5R01HD105771-05
This NIH-funded project investigates how paternal stress and adverse childhood experiences affect reproductive and developmental outcomes through changes in human sperm small non-coding RNA, using modeling and experimental methods.
Description
Epidemiological evidence shows that paternal preconception exposures to environmental perturbations, such as stress and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), are associated with changes in reproductive outcomes, gestational development, and offspring health and disease. Animal models have implicated the transfer of small non-coding RNA (sncRNA), including miRNA, in programming these effects. This project aims to assess the composition and dynamic changes of human sperm sncRNA, including miRNA, piRNA, and tRNA, in relation to stress and ACEs, using complex modeling and mouse zygotic microinjection to evaluate causal effects on embryonic development.