Elena Hinz

Early life stress can influence physiological responses in childhood that shape long-term health outcomes via lasting dysregulation across adaptive stress response systems. This project explores how continued wear and tear on human physiology across the life course is an evolutionary mismatch rooted in the chronic stress of modern environments. The study builds on data from the Great Smoky Mountains Study, a longitudinal developmental study tracking psychiatric and physical health outcomes in children from rural North Carolina (n=1,420). This project will assess trajectories of allostatic load across the life course and adult metabolic function. A subset of 300 participants will be selected based on childhood allostatic load and adversity levels, and existing biomarker data will be reassessed and expanded to include longitudinal metrics of cardiometabolic indicators and immune function. Further, energy expenditure data (kcal/day) in a subsample of adults (n=60) will be collected and analyzed with allostatic load measurements to determine whether trade-offs occur within a constrained energy budget to accommodate the demands of chronic stress. Results will inform our understanding of the developmental origins of health and disease, highlighting childhood and adolescence as sensitive periods, and offer insights into the adaptive mechanisms that link stress and health.