Understanding Healthy Brain and Child Development
The Healthy Brain and Child Development National Consortium Administrative Core
This project aims to understand how early life experiences and genes shape brain development in children from birth through age 10.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| 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-11126032 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
Our brains develop through a complex interplay of our genes and the world around us, and challenging experiences early in life can significantly alter a child's developmental path. This project will follow 7,200 mothers and their infants across 27 sites in the United States for the first 10 years of life. We will use advanced brain imaging techniques like MRI and EEG, along with various behavioral, physiological, and psychological tests, and biological samples. The goal is to create a detailed picture of typical brain development in children and see how different environmental factors, such as substance exposure or stress, might influence these trajectories.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: This project is looking for mothers and their infants to participate from birth and follow them for the first 10 years of life.
Not a fit: Patients who are not mothers or infants, or those outside the 0-10 year age range, would not directly participate in this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could provide a foundational understanding of child brain development, helping us identify factors that promote healthy growth and those that may lead to developmental challenges.
How similar studies have performed: While individual studies have looked at aspects of child development, this project aims to create a uniquely comprehensive and harmonized dataset on a large, diverse US population.
Where this research is happening
La Jolla, United States
- University of California, San Diego — La Jolla, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Chambers, Christina — University of California, San Diego
- Study coordinator: Chambers, Christina
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.