Long-term brain and health project for children and teens — UC San Diego site
5/21 ABCD-USA Consortium: Research Project Site at UC San Diego
Following thousands of children who were age 9–10 into their teen and young adult years to learn how brain development, health, behavior, and life experiences grow together.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Diego NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (La Jolla, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11302639 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Your child would attend UC San Diego visits that include brain MRI scans, cognitive and behavioral tests, health measures, and small biological samples, with full in-person visits every two years and shorter yearly phone or app check-ins. The project collects information on substance use, mental and physical health, school, family, and neighborhood to see how these factors relate to brain and behavior over time. Families are encouraged to stay involved through adolescence and into young adulthood, and retention rates have been very high so far. The team works to keep participation low-burden while building a large dataset that can inform future care and support for young people.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Best candidates are families with children near the original enrollment age (around 9–10 at baseline) who can attend periodic visits and provide information about health, school, and daily life.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate medical treatment or those far outside the child-to-young-adult age range are unlikely to receive direct clinical benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the project could help doctors and schools spot early signs of mental health or learning problems and guide better prevention and treatment.
How similar studies have performed: Smaller longitudinal brain-development studies have yielded useful findings, but ABCD is notable for its unprecedented size and depth of imaging and behavioral measures.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Tapert, Susan F. — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Tapert, Susan F.
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.