Planning for the HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study

A baby’s brain develops at a tremendous pace during pregnancy and in the first few years of life. Yet we still know very little about what “typical” early brain development looks like and how it contributes to a child’s cognitive, behavioral, social, and emotional functioning. We also don’t know a whole lot about how early brain development may be altered by things like exposures that may happen during pregnancy, stress or trauma in a child’s life, or other critical environmental influences. It’s the goal of the future HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study to answer these important questions – but a study as big and complex as this requires a whole lot of planning before it gets started. The planning phase (Phase I) will help us make sure that we are designing a Phase II study that will be acceptable to those who are asked to participate and that we select the best possible data collection tools and methods to answer the research questions we have. We are proud to be involved in the Planning Phase of the HBCD Study!

Volunteer for a HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study Planning Activity

Help Us Pave the Way for an Important “Baby Brain” Study

We’re looking for parents of children who are between 0-3 months of age to participate in activities that will help us plan the future Phase II HBCD Study. You can help us by signing-up your infant to receive an MRI scan. Your child’s participation will help us learn what works and what doesn’t work when doing MRIs on infants. Your time and travel expenses will be compensated.

Funding for the Planning Phase of the HBCD Study is provided by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). For more information about local study activities, contact us at (858) 246-1753 or HBCD@ucsd.edu.