Healthy Brain and Child Development study consortium
Official title: 8/24 The Healthy Brain and Child Development National Consortium
Funded at New York University School of Medicine · NIH-11518974 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large nationwide effort will map how genes and early-life environments shape brain development in thousands of children from birth to age 10.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | New York University School of Medicine NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,867,806 |
| NIH project number | 4U01DA055338-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11518974 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal participants are pregnant individuals and children from birth to 10 years old and their families across diverse US populations.
✕Less likely to help
Participants not interested in long-term observational data collection or those outside the study’s age range may not directly benefit.
What this research studies
This project will recruit thousands of mothers and infants across the US to build a detailed picture of normal brain growth and development. It uses harmonized MRI and EEG brain imaging along with behavioral, physiological, and biospecimen data collected at multiple sites. The goal is to understand how prenatal and early life exposures influence trajectories, so clinicians can better support affected children and families. The study will share its comprehensive data resources with researchers to accelerate discoveries relevant to child development and health.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, it could lead to better screening, prevention, and interventions for neurodevelopmental challenges linked to early-life exposures.
How similar studies have gone: Previous neurodevelopmental research has shown that standardized, large-scale imaging and behavioral data can illuminate developmental patterns, though this consortium aims for a broader, harmonized dataset.
Where this research is happening
-
New York University School of Medicine
New York, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Thomason, Moriah E — New York University School of Medicine
- Study coordinator: Thomason, Moriah E
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.
-
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.
-
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.