Elizabeth Shirtcliff awarded funding for puberty research project

October 3, 2018

Elizabeth, ‘Birdie’ Shirtcliff, an associate professor in human development and family studies, was awarded a $103,482 subcontract from the Pennsylvania State University on a National Institutes of Health research grant. This is the first of five years of an award estimated at $525,276 in direct costs. Shirtcliff will investigate the influence of pubertal maturation on biobehavioral development and mental health and risk for drug use in adolescents. The project examines the Early Growth and Development Study (EGDS) which is a longitudinal study designed to understand the relationship between heredity and the family environment by examining children adopted at birth. The current funding aims to clarify how heritable risks and prenatal or postnatal environments work together with hormonal changes to influence adolescent development. Shirtcliff and her team wil serve as the project’s biocore for novel hair hormone assessments and study design.

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