Early life stress and teen brain changes linked to drug risk
Official title: A Neuroecological Approach to Examining the Effects of Early Life Adversity on Adolescent Drug Use Vulnerabilities Using the ABCD Dataset
Funded at University of Georgia · NIH-11141876 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Looks at how early life stress and brain development relate to drug use risk in teens.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Georgia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Athens, United States) |
| Project start | September 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $606,299 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA058334-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11141876 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Adolescents about 12–20 years old with histories of early life stress or concerns about substance use match the population studied.
✕Less likely to help
Adults, children outside the 12–20 age range, or teens with no history of early life stress are less likely to benefit directly from this work.
What this research studies
If you or your teen experienced early life stress, this project examines brain scans and behavior from thousands of U.S. adolescents to understand links to later drug use. It focuses on brain systems that control emotions and respond to rewards, and how those systems may become out of balance during adolescence. The team also studies family, school, peer, and community factors that can raise or lower risk. Researchers use the large ABCD dataset to find patterns that could point to better timing and targets for prevention.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Could help identify teens at higher risk so prevention and support can be offered earlier and more precisely.
How similar studies have gone: Prior research has linked early life stress and brain differences to teen substance use, but combining brain-network measures with family and community context in a large national dataset is a newer approach.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Georgia
Athens, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Oshri, Assaf — University of Georgia
- Study coordinator: Oshri, Assaf
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
Couples-based motivational interviewing to reduce drug use and HIV risk in vulnerable male couples
A couples-focused program helps at-risk male couples reduce drug use and HIV risk together.
-
How growing up poor in rural Georgia affects children's brains and risk for drug use
This project looks at how early poverty and stress in rural Georgia change children's brain systems and their later chances of using drugs.
-
Understanding why teens relapse after treatment and how to keep them safe
A teen-focused study will look at why adolescents who finish inpatient treatment sometimes return to high-risk drug use and how that affects overdose risk.
-
Peer-led intervention to spread overdose prevention and support quitting opioids in high-risk communities
A randomized trial will test a peer-education program to reduce overdoses and help people who use opioids start or stay in treatment, by using social networks and new withdrawal-focused strategies.
-
High-Dose Medications for Opioid Use Disorder and Retention in Care
This project tests whether adjusted, higher-dose MOUD regimens can help people stay in treatment and reduce overdose risks during the fentanyl crisis.
-
OVAL: How laws about drug use in pregnancy affect pregnant and new mothers who use drugs
A nationwide project is looking at how laws about drug use in pregnancy influence health for pregnant and postpartum women who use drugs.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.