Virtual Still Face and Deep Learning to Understand Infant Emotion and Caregiver Interactions
Official title: Validation of a Virtual Still Face Procedure and Deep Learning Algorithms to Assess Infant Emotion Regulation and Infant-Caregiver Interactions in the Wild
Funded at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign · NIH-11393575 · Data updated 2026-11-12
A study using video and wearable sensors to understand how infants and their caregivers regulate emotions in real life, with advanced computer methods to analyze how they interact.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Champaign, United States) |
| Project start | September 30, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $462,987 |
| NIH project number | 5R01DA059422-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393575 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Infants and their caregivers, including those with prenatal substance exposure or at risk of emotion dysregulation, and adults involved in caregiving.
✕Less likely to help
Families not participating in real-world data collection or those without access to wearable sensors may have limited direct benefit.
What this research studies
Researchers will combine video data, wearable sensors, and deep learning to capture moment-to-moment infant emotion regulation and infant–caregiver exchanges in real-world settings. The approach aims to reduce burdens on families, especially those facing risk factors, while improving how we measure emotion regulation outside the lab. Findings could help tailor support for families affected by prenatal substance exposure and related challenges. The project builds on HEAL goals to better understand early processes that influence long-term outcomes in children and caregivers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could lead to better, less burdensome ways to monitor and support infant emotional development and caregiver interactions in real life.
How similar studies have gone: Previous methods relied on short lab tasks; this project advances real-world assessment with existing deep learning approaches.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mcelwain, Nancy L — University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Study coordinator: Mcelwain, Nancy L
Related research
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Understanding how caregiving affects health in neurodegenerative disease
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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.