Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development

Group leader: Jesús Ibarluzea, Ph.D.

Dept. Health – Provincial Health and Addictions Authority of Gipuzkoa.
Sub-directorate of Public Health of Gipuzkoa
mambien3-san@euskadi.eus
Dr. Jesús Ibarluzea Maurolagoitia is a Biologist and Psychologist (University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU), MSc Environmental Health (Puerto Rico School of Public Health), Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering and Doctor in Public Health (University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU). He currently works at the Gipuzkoa Sub-Office of Public Health and Addictions, Basque Government Ministry of Health and is Leader of the Epidemiology and Public Health Area at the Biodonostia HRI, where he is also Head of the Environmental Epidemiology and Child Development Group. His activity is mainly focused on the effect of environmental factors, very widely understood, on the physical and neuropsychological development of children and young people (INMA Environment and Childhood project).
He is a teacher of the Master’s Degree in Public Health and of the Master’s Degree in General Health Psychology while at same time directing several doctoral theses. Dr. Ibarluzea is a Collaborating Researcher of the UPV/EHU Faculty of Psychology and Principal Researcher of group 28 on Public Health at the CIBEResp (Carlos III Health Institute Network Centre of Biomedical Research in Epidemiology and Public Health). He has 140 publications in high-impact journals (>80% in Q1 and 66% in D1). H-index: 39.

Strategic Objectives

INMA Project (Childhood and Environment). A multi-centre monitoring project in which cohorts from Menorca, Sabadell, Granada, Valencia, Asturias and Gipuzkoa participate, and which studies the relationship between exposure to environmental agents and childhood development. The cohort monitoring phases of pregnant women and their children have been carried out, during pregnancy (every three months), at birth, at one year, and at the age of 2 and 4. The next step is to monitor the phases at age 7 and 10.

  • To describe the exposure to common contaminants, from the first to the fourth year of life: atmospheric pollution, by products derived from disinfecting the water. To analyse the evolution over time.
  • To measure the association between pre-natal and post-natal exposure to atmospheric contaminants and pollutants in drinking water and children’s physical and neurobehavioural development at the ages of 2 and 4 years old.
  • To measure the association between pre-natal exposure to pollutants such as POPs and heavy metals (umbilical cord) and the neurobehavioural development of a child at the ages of 2 and 4, analysing the coherence with the results obtained at the age of one year.
  • To assess the role of the quality of domestic ecology, the parents’ degree of intelligence, social support network and social class in the neurobehavioural development, sociodemographic determining factors, health and healthy habits: pregnancy and early childhood.
  • To integrate the data from this study with those from the other cohorts in the INMA Project.

Main lines of research

  • Environmental and atmospheric pollution, drinking water contamination, diet and health.
  • Effects of interior and exterior atmospheric pollution and contamination of drinking water and for domestic use in neurodevelopment and respiratory diseases.
  • Association between pre-natal exposure and during the early years of life to pollutants such as POPs, endocrine disruptors and heavy metals, and neurobehavioural development in childhood.
  • Development, application and/or adaptation of the different scales and testing to assess neurobehavioural and domestic aspects (Etxadi-Gangoiti), school environment and other scales in childhood. Relationship of the aspects of the family structure and function, and cognitive development.
  • Sociodemographic and health determining factors during pregnancy and early childhood.
  • Obesity and metabolic disorder in childhood.
  • Assessment of the physical environmental agents and their effect on health.

Team Members

Name Surname
Center E-mail
Joana Acha Morcillo UPV – EHU joana.acha@ehu.eus
Jon Iñaki Alvarez Uriarte Public Health Subdirection ji-alvarezuriarte@euskadi.eus
Asier Anabitarte Riol Biodonostia HRI
Ainara Andiarena Villaverde UPV – EHU ainara.andiarena@ehu.es
Enrique Arranz Freijo UPV – EHU e.arranzfreijo@ehu.es
Ane Arregi Otxotorena UPV – EHU
Elene Arruti Garate Biodonostia HRI
Mikel Ayerdi Barandiaran Dep. Health Subdirection – PH Gipuzkoa m-ayerdi@euskadi.eus
Izaro Babarro Vélez UPV – EHU
Florencia Barreto Zarza UPV – EHU flor.barreto@ehu.eus
Ziortza Barroeta Legarreta UPV – EHU ziortza.barroeta@ehu.eus
Ainhoa Bereziartua Aranzaba Biodonostia HRI
Eduardo Fano Ardanaz          UPV – EHU eduardo.fano@ehu.es
Mara Gallastegui Bilbao External collaborator m-gallasteguibilbao@euskadi.eus
Gonzalo García-Baquero Moneo Public Health Subdirection ggbmoneo@ciberesp.es
Amaia Irizar Loibide UPV – EHU
Alba Jimeno Romero UPV – EHU alba.jimeno@ehu.eus
Nerea Lertxundi Iribar UPV – EHU nerea.lertxundi@ehu.es
Aitana Lertxundi Manterola      UPV – EHU aitana.lertxundi@ehu.eus
Leire Luque García UPV – EHU lluque001@ikasle.ehu.eus
Mª Dolores Martínez López De Dicastillo Dep. Environment and Land Planning dml-martinez@euskadi.eus
Maialen Otamendi Garitano UPV – EHU maialen.otamendi@ehu.eus
Ane San Román Martínez Dep. Health Subdirection – PH Gipuzkoa ane-sanroman@euskadi.eus
Manuel Sánchez de Miguel UPV-EHU manu.sanchez@ehu.es
Loreto Santa Marina Rodríguez  Dep. Health Subdirection – PH Gipuzkoa l-santa@euskadi.eus
Mikel Subiza Pérez UPV-EHU
Nerea Urbieta Macazaga Dep. Health Subdirection – PH Gipuzkoa
Oscar Vegas Moreno UPV – EHU o.vegas@ehu.es
Carlos Zabaleta Camino Goierri-Alto Urola IHO carlos.zabaletacamino@osakidetza.eus
Miren Begoña Zubero Oleagoitia UPV – EHU mirenbegona.zubero@ehu.eus

Scientific Output

EXPOSICION PRENATAL Y POSTNATAL A SUSTANCIAS PERFLUOROALQUILADAS (PFAS) Y DESARROLLO NEUROPSICOLOGICO HASTA LA PREADOLESCENCIA. PROYECTO INMA
Código: 2020111053
Investigador Principal (IP): AMAIA IRIZAR LOIBIDE
Entidad Financiadora: DEPARTAMENTO DE SALUD
Fecha de Inicio: 2020-12-01
Fecha de finalización: 2024-12-31
Importe Concedido: 53.620,18 €
VALIDACION DE LA EXPRESION DE UBE2L3 EN SANGRE COMO MARCADOR DIAGNOSTICO DE LA ENFERMEDAD CELIACA EN LA AUSENCIA DE GLUTEN
Código: 2019111085/BD
Investigador Principal (IP): AMAIA IRIZAR LOIBIDE
Entidad Financiadora: DEPARTAMENTO DE SALUD
Fecha de Inicio: 2019-11-30
Fecha de finalización: 2023-12-31
Importe Concedido: 1.652,00 €
PEATONES SALUD Y SOSTENIBILIDAD
Código: RED2018-102320-T
Investigador Principal (IP): JESUS MARIA IBARLUZEA MAUROLAGOITIA
Entidad Financiadora: MINISTERIO DE CIENCIA E INNOVACION
Fecha de Inicio: 2020-01-01
Fecha de finalización: 2021-12-31
Importe Concedido: 0,00 €
LA METILACION DEL ADN COMO MEDIADOR DE LA EXPOSICION PRENATAL A CONTAMINANTES OBESOGENOS EN LA OBESIDAD INFANTIL
Código: 2018111086/BD
Investigador Principal (IP): AMAIA IRIZAR LOIBIDE
Entidad Financiadora: DEPARTAMENTO DE SALUD
Fecha de Inicio: 2018-12-14
Fecha de finalización: 2022-10-31
Importe Concedido: 29.417,00 €
LA METILACION DEL ADN COMO MEDIADOR DE LA EXPOSICION PRENATAL A CONTAMINANTES OBESOGENOS EN LA OBESIDAD INFANTIL
Código: PI18/01142
Investigador Principal (IP): LORETO SANTA MARINA RODRIGUEZ
Entidad Financiadora: ISCIII INSTITUTO DE SALUD CARLOS III
Fecha de Inicio: 2019-01-01
Fecha de finalización: 2021-12-31
Importe Concedido: 87.120,00 €
INMA ADO URBANO MEDIO AMBIENTE URBANO ENTORNO PSICOSOCIAL Y DESARROLLO NEUROPSICOLOGICO Y SALUD MENTAL EN LA INFANCIA Y PREADOLESCENCIA
Código: PI18/01237
Investigador Principal (IP): JESUS MARIA IBARLUZEA MAUROLAGOITIA
Entidad Financiadora: ISCIII INSTITUTO DE SALUD CARLOS III
Fecha de Inicio: 2019-01-01
Fecha de finalización: 2022-10-30
Importe Concedido: 32.670,00 €
ESTAN RELACIONADOS EL NIVEL DE ESTRES INFANTIL Y EL CONTACTO CON LA NATURALEZA?
Código: KUTXA18/001
Investigador Principal (IP): AITANA LERTXUNDI MANTEROLA
Entidad Financiadora: KUTXA FUNDAZIOA
Fecha de Inicio: 2018-02-01
Fecha de finalización: 2020-03-31
Importe Concedido: 17.000,00 €
EXPOSICION PRENATAL A FLUOR Y MANGANESO Y EFECTOS EN EL DESARROLLO NEUROPSICOLOGICO EN LOS NIÑ@S AL AÑO Y MEDIO, 4 Y 8-9 AÑOS EN LAS COHORTES INMA-GIPUZKOA
Código: 2015111065
Investigador Principal (IP): AITANA LERTXUNDI MANTEROLA
Entidad Financiadora: DEPARTAMENTO DE SALUD
Fecha de Inicio: 2015-12-15
Fecha de finalización: 2019-12-31
Importe Concedido: 54.404,00 €
EFECTOS DE LA EXPOSICION A BISFENOL-A EN LA SALUD (CANCER Y ENFERMEDAD CORONARIA ISQUEMICA) EN EL ESTUDIO PROSPECTIVO EUROPEO SOBRE NUTRICION Y CANCER (EPIC-ESPAÑA) SUBPROYECTO GIPUZKOA
Código: PI14/00556
Investigador Principal (IP): ANA MARIA JIMENEZ ZABALA
Entidad Financiadora: ISCIII INSTITUTO DE SALUD CARLOS III
Fecha de Inicio: 2015-01-01
Fecha de finalización: 2019-06-30
Importe Concedido: 81.070,00 €
CIBERESP - EPIDEMOLOGIA Y SALUD PUBLICA
Código: CB06/02/0072
Investigador Principal (IP): MIREN DORRONSORO IRAETA; JESUS MARIA IBARLUZEA MAUROLAGOITIA
Entidad Financiadora: ISCIII INSTITUTO DE SALUD CARLOS III
Fecha de Inicio: 2011-03-31
Fecha de finalización: 2030-12-31
Importe Concedido: 0,00 €