Understanding Healthy Brain Development in Children
3/24 Healthy Brain and Child Development National Consortium
This project aims to understand how genes and early life experiences shape brain development in children from before birth through age 10.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Children's Hosp of Philadelphia NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Philadelphia, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11141218 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This project brings together many researchers to learn how a child's genes and early life experiences, both good and bad, affect their brain development. We want to create a clear picture of how children's brains typically grow during their first 10 years. To do this, we will follow 7,200 mothers and their babies across the United States, using advanced brain imaging and other tools to track their development. This will help us understand how things like substance exposure, stress, or other health conditions during pregnancy and early childhood might impact a child's future.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are pregnant mothers and their infants who are willing to participate in a long-term follow-up until their child is 10 years old.
Not a fit: Patients who are not pregnant or do not have young children within the specified age range would not directly benefit from participating in this particular project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: This work could help us better understand how to support healthy brain development and prevent long-term problems in children.
How similar studies have performed: While individual aspects of child development have been studied, this project is novel in its large scale, harmonized approach, and comprehensive tracking of neurodevelopmental trajectories across many sites.
Where this research is happening
Philadelphia, United States
- Children's Hosp of Philadelphia — Philadelphia, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Huang, Hao — Children's Hosp of Philadelphia
- Study coordinator: Huang, Hao
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.