UCLA site of the ABCD Consortium on adolescent brain and child health
17/21 ABCD-USA CONSORTIUM: RESEARCH PROJECT SITE AT UCLA
Tracking brain development, health, and behavior in children who started at age 9–10 as they grow into their teen and young adult years.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California Los Angeles NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Los Angeles, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11302697 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
As a participant at UCLA, you'll get detailed baseline tests including MRI brain scans, cognitive and behavioral testing, health exams, and collection of biological samples like saliva or blood. Full follow-up visits happen every two years, with shorter yearly interviews and app-based check-ins to report events such as school, sports, or substance use. The project follows people from childhood into young adulthood to link experiences and environment with brain and mental health changes over time. The UCLA site joins 20 other U.S. sites to contribute to a large shared database used by researchers nationwide.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are children and families who enrolled around ages 9–10 (now in adolescence/young adulthood) or families with children in that age range willing to attend in-person visits at UCLA and participate long-term.
Not a fit: People seeking immediate medical treatment should not expect direct therapeutic benefit from this observational research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could help identify early signs and risk factors for mental health or substance problems and guide prevention and early treatment strategies for young people.
How similar studies have performed: Large neuroimaging and longitudinal cohort studies have already improved understanding of brain development, and ABCD is the largest of its kind with unique size and breadth.
Where this research is happening
Los Angeles, United States
- University of California Los Angeles — Los Angeles, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Dapretto, Mirella — University of California Los Angeles
- Study coordinator: Dapretto, Mirella
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.