- What we do
- Project management
- Stakeholders
In six existing prospective birth cohort studies in Europe, HELIX will estimate prenatal and postnatal exposure to a broad range of chemical and physical exposures: persistent and non-persistent organic chemicals, metals, pesticides, environmental tobacco smoke, water contaminants, air pollutants, noise, UV radiation, and contact with green spaces.
Exposure models will be developed for the full cohorts totalling 32,000 mother-child pairs and biomarkers will be measured in a subset of 1,200.
Nested repeat-sampling panel studies (N=150) will collect data on biomarker variability and use smartphone-linked sensors to assess individual mobility, physical activity and personal exposure to air pollutants and UV radiation.
Omics techniques will determine molecular profiles (metabolome, proteome, transcriptome, epigenome) associated with exposures.
Statistical methods for multiple and combined exposures will provide exposure-response estimates for fetal and child growth, obesity, neurodevelopment, and respiratory outcomes.
Finally, a health impact assessment exercise will be conducted for combined early-life exposures.
Martine Vrijheid - martine.vrijheid[at]isglobal.org
Project CoordinatorDiana van Gent - diana.vangent[at]isglobal.org
Project Manager and contactCREAL - Centre de Recerca en Epidemiologia Ambiental
Parc Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona
Doctor Aiguader, 88 - 08003, BarcelonaTel +34 932 14 7354
Fax +34 932 14 7301
WP1 - Novel Tools for Individual Exposures
Led by Cathrine Thomsen
Collaborating CREAL, INSERM, NIPH, UoC, BTHFT, VDU, HYLO
Biomarkers – concentrations of chemicals inside the body – are measured to predict exposure to contaminants in food, water, cosmetics and other. WP1 collects biological samples and questionnaires to determine exposures to a wide range of chemicals for the mothers and children participating in the study.