We are digitizing the Child Health and Development Studies (CHDS) biological samples and health outcomes, an irreplaceable 60-year, three-generation cohort, using mass spectrometry and a custom Large Language Model (LLM). This $51M investment will transform this invaluable data into a real-time, globally accessible resource for researchers.
The Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) paradigm links prenatal factors to chronic illness. The CHDS cohort is the key to proving this link, but its physical samples are finite and require costly, labor-intensive assay analysis. Moreover, data access relies on slow, fragmented, and old-fashioned methods. We are building a modern, AI-driven platform to unlock this invaluable resource and accelerate scientific discovery.
Why now?
Longitudinal data indicates an alarming rise in early-onset cancer diagnoses (patients under 50) across several regions. This trend highlights a failure in current diagnostics and necessitates immediate, innovative action in detection and preventative research. The Exposome Atlas is designed to provide the predictive engine necessary to address this challenge.
— Referenced findings from major peer-reviewed reports; please consult the project's bibliography for exact citations.
For over 60 years, the CHDS has been a cornerstone of public health research, producing landmark findings that connect early-life exposures to lifelong health outcomes.
A seminal CHDS study revealed that women exposed to high levels of the pesticide DDT in utero were nearly four times more likely to be diagnosed with breast cancer as adults. This groundbreaking finding reshaped our understanding of environmental carcinogens.
Read the Report →Research demonstrated that a grandmother's exposure to PCBs during pregnancy could increase obesity risk across generations, revealing multigenerational metabolic disruption.
Explore the Study →By analyzing stored serum samples, CHDS investigators found steroid hormone levels during pregnancy were associated with future maternal breast cancer risk.
View Publication →A CHDS study found a link between paternal occupation and an increased risk of colorectal cancer in adult offspring, suggesting paternal exposures can have downstream effects.
See Dr. Cohn's Profile →Rodin, a Python-based tool for high-resolution mass spectrometry, streamlines metabolomics analysis, making cohort data more accessible to modern researchers.
Learn about Rodin →This is not just data preservation; it's the creation of a permanent, AI-powered engine for discovery. The funding will build the infrastructure, execute the analysis, and staff the initiative for permanent disease prevention on a global scale.
| Initiative | Cost |
|---|---|
| Mass Spectrometry Digitization (50,000+ Samples) | $25,000,000 |
| Custom LLM Development & Data Harmonization (3 Years) | $6,000,000 |
| Expert Bioinformatics, AI Staffing & Executive Leadership | $6,000,000 |
| Future-Generation Data Collection | $5,000,000 |
| 10-Year Data Hosting, Storage & Operations | $7,500,000 |
| Global Access Front-End Platform & Outreach | $1,500,000 |
| TOTAL FUNDING REQUIRED | $51,000,000 |