Understanding how the human brain develops in early childhood
Official title: Multifaceted Characterization of Early Human Brain Development
Funded at Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill · NIH-11136891 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how babies' brains grow and change from birth to age 5, using special MRI scans to understand what healthy brain development looks like and to spot any early signs of brain-related challenges.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project start | July 15, 2024 |
| Project end | March 31, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $519,913 |
| NIH project number | 5R01MH133836-02 |
| Project ID | NIH-11136891 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research are children aged 0 to 5 years, particularly those at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders.
✕Less likely to help
Patients outside the age range of 0 to 5 years or those without any neurodevelopmental concerns may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates the dynamic changes in brain structure and function during the critical early years of life, specifically from birth to age 5. By utilizing high-resolution MRI data from the Baby Connectome Project, the study aims to chart normal and abnormal brain development trajectories. Advanced computational tools will be employed to analyze the MRI images, focusing on the organization of the cerebral cortex and the relationships between different brain structures. The findings could help identify early signs of neurodevelopmental disorders.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to improved understanding and early detection of neurodevelopmental disorders in children.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research utilizing MRI data for understanding brain development has shown promising results, indicating that this approach is both relevant and potentially impactful.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Yap, Pew-Thian — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Yap, Pew-Thian
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
A center for coordinating data related to heart and blood health.
This study is working on a new system to gather and analyze health information about heart and blood disorders, which could lead to better ways to diagnose and treat these conditions, ultimately helping patients like you.
-
Healthy work design and worker well-being
A multi-site program aims to improve the health and well-being of workers by studying how work design affects safety, stress, and quality of life.
-
Unified and fair multimodal learning for autoimmune diseases
A patient-friendly AI approach will combine many kinds of health data to improve diagnosis and personalized care for autoimmune diseases, including lupus.
-
Structural factors linking minimum wage, COVID-19, and community violence
A long-term study will explore whether higher minimum wages and pandemic-related economic factors are connected to changes in violence in US communities.
-
Non-invasive tears biomarker for early Alzheimer's in LMICs
A low-cost, tear-based biomarker approach aims to detect early Alzheimer’s disease in older adults in Peru and similar settings.
-
How HPV interacts with our cells' DNA damage system and its effect on cancer
This project looks at how high-risk HPV uses the body’s DNA repair machinery to replicate and potentially drive cancer, with the goal of finding new antiviral and cancer-fighting approaches for people affected by HPV-related diseases.
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.