Understanding Healthy Brain and Child Development

18/24 Healthy Brain and Child Development National Consortium

NIH-funded research University of New Mexico Health Scis Ctr · NIH-11139506

This project aims to understand how genes and early life experiences shape brain development in children from birth through age 10.

Quick facts

Grant typeU01 cooperative agreement
Study typeNIH-funded research
Funding institutionUniversity of New Mexico Health Scis Ctr NIH-funded
Lab location1 site (Albuquerque, United States)
Project IDNIH-11139506 on NIH RePORTER

What this research studies

We are looking at how a child's genes and their early life experiences, including factors like maternal substance exposure, health conditions, or stress, affect how their brain grows and develops. Our goal is to create a clear picture of typical brain development in thousands of children across the United States. To do this, we will use advanced brain imaging techniques like MRI and EEG, along with various tests to understand behavior, physical responses, and psychological well-being. We will also collect biological samples to get a complete picture of how children develop over their first decade of life.

Who could benefit from this research

Good fit: Ideal participants would be mothers and their infants, enrolled at one of the 27 sites across the United States, who are willing to participate in a long-term study of child development.

Not a fit: Patients who are not mothers or infants, or those outside the specified age range for the study, would not directly benefit from participation in this specific research.

Why it matters

Potential benefit: This work could help us better understand how early life experiences influence a child's brain development, potentially leading to earlier identification and support for children facing challenges.

How similar studies have performed: While individual studies have explored aspects of child development, this project is unique in its large scale and comprehensive approach to establish a broad, normative template of neurodevelopmental trajectories.

Where this research is happening

Albuquerque, United States

Researchers

About this research

  1. This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
  2. Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
  3. For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.
Last reviewed 2026-06-09 by the Find a Trial editorial team. Information on this page is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always consult qualified healthcare professionals about clinical trial participation.