Healthy Brain and Child Development: watching how kids grow from before birth to age 10
Official title: 2/24 Healthy Brain and Child Development National Consortium
Funded at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles · NIH-11518963 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A large study across the US follows 7,200 mothers and their babies to understand how genes and early life experiences shape brain development.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hospital of Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2021 |
| Project end | June 30, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $1,788,258 |
| NIH project number | 4U01DA055362-06 |
| Project ID | NIH-11518963 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Families with newborns up to 10 years old who are willing to participate across multiple US sites.
✕Less likely to help
Families who are not available to commit to long-term participation or who do not meet enrollment criteria may not benefit.
What this research studies
This project enrolls families at multiple sites and uses MRI, EEG, and a battery of behavioral and physiological assessments to map neurodevelopment over the first 10 years. It aims to create a normative roadmap of development to identify how exposures and stressors affect trajectories. By sharing a rich dataset with researchers, it may help translate findings into better prevention and support for children and families.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, findings could improve early detection and intervention for developmental challenges and inform policies to support healthy brain development.
How similar studies have gone: Previous multicenter neurodevelopment projects have shown that standardized measures can reveal meaningful developmental patterns, though this study is uniquely large and harmonized.
Where this research is happening
-
Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
Los Angeles, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Levitt, Pat — Children's Hospital of Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Levitt, Pat
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.
-
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.
-
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.