New study alert: HEALthy Brain and Child Development

New study alert: HEALthy Brain and Child Development

The HEALthy Brain and Child Development Study is a 10-year long longitudinal study conducted by 25 institutions across the U.S. in which The University of Alabama and The University of Alabama at Birmingham are partnering to tackle this fascinating research. The study specifically explores pregnant woman, their children, and possible exposure to substances during pregnancy. Hopefully, the findings from this study will help assess the prenatal and perinatal exposures to substances and environments and their effect on developmental trajectories. The study will be collecting data anthropometrics, medical history, biospecimens, cognitive development, social development, emotional development, infant and childhood fMRIs, and fetal development. Using this knowledge, the researchers involved aiming to identify the future risks of substance use, mental disorders, developmental problems, and other behavioral issues. The UA team will be relying on rural health care clinics and the University Medical Centers for recruitment for the study. The team will also be using the new MRI facility that will be coming to UA in the near future. The principal investigators of this study will be Dr. Caitlin Hudac, Dr. Holly Horan, Dr. John McDonald, Dr. Catherine Lavendar, and Dr. Brian Gannon.  

Check out our press release for more info: https://news.ua.edu/2021/11/ua-uab-partner-with-nih-to-study-healthy-child-brain-development/