Healthy Brain and Child Development data coordinating center
Official title: Healthy Brain and Child Development National Consortium Data Coordinating Center
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11418150 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is collecting brain scans, behavior tests, and biological samples from pregnant people and their children up to age 10 to create a large reference dataset about early brain and child development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Washington University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Saint Louis, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2026 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $1,519,179 |
| NIH project number | 3U24DA055330-05S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11418150 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are pregnant people and their children who live near one of the participating U.S. sites and are willing to take part in repeated visits, imaging, tests, and sample collection over several years.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, do not plan to have children, live far from any study site, or are unwilling to undergo imaging or long-term follow-up are unlikely to benefit from participating.
What this research studies
Families will be enrolled at one of 24 sites across the United States, with the goal of following about 7,200 pregnant people and their children through the first decade of life. Children will have MRI scans, neurophysiology measures, standardized behavioral and cognitive testing, and collection of biospecimens following a harmonized protocol. The Data Coordinating Center at Washington University manages data collection, quality control, processing, storage, and sharing so researchers can use the dataset. The coordinated approach is designed to make data comparable across sites and usable for many different questions about early brain and behavior.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this resource could help doctors and researchers spot early signs of developmental problems and guide better prevention, diagnosis, and treatments for children.
How similar studies have gone: Large cohort efforts like the ABCD study have successfully linked brain imaging and behavior in school-aged youth, but this effort is novel in focusing on infancy and early childhood development.
Where this research is happening
-
Washington University
Saint Louis, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smyser, Christopher Daniel — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Smyser, Christopher Daniel
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
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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.
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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.
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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.