Healthy Brain and Child Development national program
9/24- Healthy Brain and Child Development National Consortium
This project follows thousands of U.S. mothers and their children from pregnancy through age 10 using brain scans, behavior tests, and biological samples to learn how early life experiences shape development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Northwestern University NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chicago, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11138739 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, you and your child would be seen regularly from pregnancy or birth through age 10 for brain imaging (MRI, EEG), developmental and behavioral tests, health checks, and collection of biological samples like saliva or blood. Visits happen at one of the study sites and some information may be collected by phone or online. The study aims to build a national picture of typical brain and behavioral development and to see how exposures such as substance use, stress, or environmental toxins affect children over time. Your information would be added to a shared research resource used by scientists working to prevent and treat developmental problems.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are pregnant people and their infants (enrolled prenatally or shortly after birth) who can attend visits at one of the study's U.S. sites and agree to follow-up through early childhood.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate medical treatment or who cannot commit to repeated long-term visits are unlikely to receive direct clinical benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could help doctors spot early signs of risk and guide strategies to prevent or reduce long-term developmental problems.
How similar studies have performed: Large cohort projects like the ABCD study have produced valuable insights into brain development, and this effort applies a similar large-scale approach focused on prenatal and early childhood periods.
Where this research is happening
Chicago, United States
- Northwestern University — Chicago, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Wakschlag, Lauren S — Northwestern University
- Study coordinator: Wakschlag, Lauren S
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.