The candidate, Xiaomei Cong, PhD, RN, proposes a Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award project to enhance her ability to achieve her goal of becoming an independent clinical investigator who will lead the field of infant stress and pain. With preterm birth substantial gains in survival, concerns have focused on significant increases in neurological morbidity and long-term adverse outcomes related to the immature neuro-immune systems and stressful early life experience in the neonatal intensive care (NICU) stay. However, how the mechanisms of early life stress alter infant neurodevelopment remains largely unknown. To continue progress towards her goal, the candidate will examine the new models of brain- gut-microbiota signaling mechanism involved in early life stress and prediction of infant neurodevelopment using cutting-edge microbiological analysis (i.e., gut microbiome) and immune-inflammatory biomarker prediction strategies (i.e., fecal cytokines and calprotectin). Three specific research aims are proposed in a prospective longitudinal study to examine: (1) preterm infants' gut microbiome patterns and mucosal immune- inflammatory responses over the first 3 weeks of NICU stay; (2) the linkage of gut microbiome patterns and mucosal immune-inflammatory responses with early life stress; and (3) the linkage of gut microbiome and mucosal immune-inflammatory responses with autonomic nervous and neurobehavioral outcomes. The candidate's previous training and research experience provided her skills to plan, implement, and analyze data from clinical experimental studies in infant stress/pain. Progress toward the career goals requires her to develop expertise in additional content areas including knowledge and technology of brain-gut signaling mechanism and genomic approaches to microbiome analysis. An expert interdisciplinary mentor advisory committee has been selected and the candidate will gain knowledge by hands-on experience of: (1) microbiome and genomics knowledge and technology by Drs. Graf and Gregory; (2) mechanism of brain-gut signaling involved in infant stress by Drs. Henderson and Hussain; (3) biostatistics and informatics by Drs. Walsh and Graf; and (4) dissemination and grant writing by all mentors. Training and mentoring activities will include formal coursework, learning modules, mentored training, workshops, and other professional activities. The project addresses a high priority of the NINR strategic plan of disease prevention and quality of life improvement and also a priority of NIH specified by a recent initiative, the Human Microbiome Project. The award will enable 75% of her academic time to be devoted to research and training. The candidate will work with mentors in a world-class research environment and successfully reach her goals. Study results will provide the preliminary data for an R01 grant proposal and will further contribute to neonatal care in reducing negative consequences of stress in high-risk infants. .

Public Health Relevance

Stressful early life experience in the neonatal intensive care (NICU) may alter infant neurodevelopment regulated by the brain-gut-microbiota signaling mechanism. The proposed project will examine preterm infants' gut microbiome patterns and mucosal immune- inflammatory responses over the NICU stay, and examine the linkage of gut microbiome patterns and mucosal immune-inflammatory responses with early life stress and with autonomic nervous and neurobehavioral outcomes.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
Type
Mentored Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award (K23)
Project #
5K23NR014674-03
Application #
8897891
Study Section
National Institute of Nursing Research Initial Review Group (NRRC)
Program Officer
Roary, Mary
Project Start
2013-09-27
Project End
2016-07-31
Budget Start
2015-08-01
Budget End
2016-07-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2015
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Connecticut
Department
Type
Schools of Nursing
DUNS #
614209054
City
Storrs-Mansfield
State
CT
Country
United States
Zip Code
Xu, Wanli; Judge, Michelle P; Maas, Kendra et al. (2018) Systematic Review of the Effect of Enteral Feeding on Gut Microbiota in Preterm Infants. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs 47:451-463
Xu, Wanli; Luo, Zhenwu; Alekseyenko, Alexander V et al. (2018) Distinct systemic microbiome and microbial translocation are associated with plasma level of anti-CD4 autoantibody in HIV infection. Sci Rep 8:12863
Cong, Xiaomei; Wu, Jing; Vittner, Dorothy et al. (2017) The impact of cumulative pain/stress on neurobehavioral development of preterm infants in the NICU. Early Hum Dev 108:9-16
Cong, Xiaomei; Judge, Michelle; Xu, Wanli et al. (2017) Influence of Feeding Type on Gut Microbiome Development in Hospitalized Preterm Infants. Nurs Res 66:123-133
Xu, Wanli; Walsh, Stephen; Cong, Xiaomei S (2016) Development of Accumulated Pain/Stressor Scale (APSS) in NICUs: A National Survey. Pain Manag Nurs 17:354-362
Cong, Xiaomei; Xu, Wanli; Romisher, Rachael et al. (2016) Gut Microbiome and Infant Health: Brain-Gut-Microbiota Axis and Host Genetic Factors. Yale J Biol Med 89:299-308
Cong, Xiaomei; Xu, Wanli; Janton, Susan et al. (2016) Gut Microbiome Developmental Patterns in Early Life of Preterm Infants: Impacts of Feeding and Gender. PLoS One 11:e0152751
Cong, Xiaomei; Henderson, Wendy A; Graf, Joerg et al. (2015) Early Life Experience and Gut Microbiome: The Brain-Gut-Microbiota Signaling System. Adv Neonatal Care 15:314-23; quiz E1-2
Cong, Xiaomei; McGrath, Jacqueline M; Delaney, Colleen et al. (2014) Neonatal nurses' perceptions of pain management: survey of the United States and China. Pain Manag Nurs 15:834-44