Teen and young adult brain development and alcohol use at University of Pittsburgh
NCANDA Research Project Site: University of Pittsburgh (NCANDA-PITT)
Following teens and young adults over time to see how heavy drinking during adolescence affects brain growth, sleep, activity, thinking, and mental health.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Pittsburgh, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11112390 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would join a group of people who were first enrolled as teens and have been tracked yearly into early adulthood. Each year participants complete brain scans (MRI), thinking and behavior tests, clinical interviews, and provide biological samples, with many visits done in person and some data collected remotely by computer or mobile app. The project now adds advanced imaging plus sleep and activity tracking with wearables to better link drinking patterns with brain and daily function. Researchers compare people with different drinking histories to find when and how alcohol-related changes appear and persist.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are adolescents and young adults (roughly ages 12–21 at initial enrollment) with varied alcohol use histories who can complete yearly visits, scans, and remote app-based data collection.
Not a fit: People outside the adolescent/young adult age range or those unable or unwilling to attend MRI visits or share health and activity data are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could pinpoint when alcohol harms the developing brain and guide better prevention and treatment strategies for young people.
How similar studies have performed: Previous long-term imaging studies have linked adolescent drinking to brain differences, but NCANDA's large, multi-site cohort and added wearable measures provide more detailed and longer-term information.
Where this research is happening
Pittsburgh, United States
- University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh — Pittsburgh, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Clark, Duncan B. — University of Pittsburgh at Pittsburgh
- Study coordinator: Clark, Duncan B.
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.