Emotional and biobehavioral links in parent-infant closeness
Official title: Emotional and biobehavioral mechanisms of parent-infant emotional synchrony
Funded at Children's Hosp of Philadelphia · NIH-11617729 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A program to understand how parent and baby feel and react to each other in early life, with the goal of guiding better child social and emotional development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project start | September 28, 2026 |
| Project end | August 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $248,999 |
| NIH project number | 4R00HD115784-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11617729 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Families with infants and young children, especially where parent-infant interactions may be at risk for disrupted synchrony.
✕Less likely to help
If there is no typical parent-infant dyad or if participation is not feasible due to clinical conditions, the direct benefit may be limited.
What this research studies
Researchers will study how parents and infants connect emotionally and biobehaviorally from birth through early childhood, using methods like EEG/ECG and interviews. The project aims to map how early dyadic interactions influence later socioemotional functioning and to develop targeted strategies to support relational health. The work combines translational, mechanistic, and clinical approaches, with training to enhance skills in multimodal data integration and biostatistics. By building a comprehensive picture of early synchrony, the team hopes to inform interventions that promote healthy relationships and development.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could inform new ways to support families in fostering secure parent-infant relationships and healthier child development.
How similar studies have gone: Prior studies have linked parent-infant synchrony to later child outcomes, but this project aims to advance mechanistic and translational understanding in a targeted training context.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lavallee, Andreane — Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
- Study coordinator: Lavallee, Andreane
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.