Healthy Brain and Child Development: A National Effort to Map Child Neurodevelopment
Official title: The Healthy Brain and Child Development National Consortium Administrative Core
Funded at University of California, San Diego · NIH-11518960 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large nationwide project will follow thousands of mothers and babies from birth to age ten to understand how genes and the environment shape healthy brain development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $3,684,374 |
| NIH project number | 4U24DA055325-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11518960 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are pregnant individuals and children up to 10 years old who participate at one of the 27 US sites and are willing to contribute imaging, behavioral data, and biospecimens.
✕Less likely to help
Children who do not participate or who have conditions unrelated to the study’s focus may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will collect MRI and EEG brain data, along with behavioral, physiological, and psychological information, from 7,200 mother-child pairs at 27 sites across the US. Researchers will create a harmonized, large Dataset that captures normal developmental trajectories in early life and how exposures (like substances, stress, and health conditions) may influence them. The study will use standardized imaging, assessments, and biospecimens to build a comprehensive picture of healthy development that can guide future prevention and intervention efforts.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to earlier identification of developmental risk and inform strategies to support healthy brain development in children.
How similar studies have gone: Previous large-scale developmental studies have demonstrated that harmonized data collection can reveal reliable trajectories; this project aims to scale that approach nationally.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Diego
La Jolla, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chambers, Christina — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Chambers, Christina
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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California Abundant Birth Project: does guaranteed income during pregnancy affect birth outcomes and child development?
A government-backed program gives pregnant people in California monthly income to reduce stress, with researchers studying how this helps birth outcomes and early child development.
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Father-inclusive parenting program to boost early child development
A family-focused program tests whether including fathers in responsive parenting support leads to better outcomes for young children.
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Healthy Brain and Child Development study across 27 sites
This project studies how genes and early-life environments affect brain development in thousands of babies and young children.
-
Healthy Brain and Child Development study across 27 sites
A nationwide study follows mothers and infants from pregnancy through early childhood to map how genes and environments shape brain development and behavior.
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Healthy Brain and Child Development in the US: a large, multi-site study of early life factors
A large nationwide study follows mothers and their babies from birth to age 10 to understand how genes and early life experiences shape brain development.
-
Healthy Brain and Child Development: a big study following kids from birth through age 10
A large, nationwide study will follow 7,200 mothers and their babies to map how early life experiences shape brain growth and development.
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.