Healthy Brain and Child Development data coordinating center
Healthy Brain and Child Development National Consortium Data Coordinating Center
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 ID | NIH-11418150 on NIH RePORTER |
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.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: 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.
Not a fit: 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.
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 performed: 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
Saint Louis, United States
- Washington University — Saint Louis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Smyser, Christopher Daniel — Washington University
- Study coordinator: Smyser, Christopher Daniel
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 below.