Healthy Brain and Child Development data hub
Official title: Healthy Brain and Child Development National Consortium Data Coordinating Center
Funded at Washington University · NIH-11328711 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Collecting and organizing brain scans, behavioral tests, and biological samples from pregnant people and their children to better understand early brain and behavioral 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) | $1,728,827 |
| NIH project number | 3U24DA055330-05S1 |
| Project ID | NIH-11328711 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Pregnant people and their newborns/children (ages 0–11) who live near one of the participating U.S. data collection sites and consent to longitudinal follow-up are the ideal participants.
✕Less likely to help
People who are not pregnant, do not have young children, or who live far from participating sites would not be able to join and are unlikely to gain direct benefits from participation.
What this research studies
If I join, the project follows pregnant people and their children from birth through the first decade of life and gathers many kinds of information over time. Children will have brain imaging, neurophysiology recordings, behavioral and cognitive testing, and biospecimen collection like blood, with toxicology data integrated. The Data Coordinating Center manages how data are collected, checked for quality, processed, and shared so researchers can use the resource. The effort aims to build a diverse, representative group of about 7,200 families from sites across the United States.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could reveal early biological and environmental factors that affect child brain development and point to better ways to detect and support children at risk.
How similar studies have gone: Other large birth-cohort and child-development studies have produced important findings, but this project's breadth of imaging, physiology, and biospecimens at this scale is more comprehensive and relatively new.
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.
-
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.
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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.