Population | HEAL

Tailoring research to the needs of specific populations, from adolescents to rural and Native communities

The long-term effects of exposure to substances and other environmental, social, and biological factors during pregnancy and after birth on infant and child development are not fully understood. The HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study is the largest long-term study of early brain and child development in the United States. The study will collect information from a cohort of pregnant participants before birth and from their infants beginning at birth, and it will continue collecting information from the caregiver and child through early childhood. Data will include structural and functional brain imaging; anthropometrics; medical history; family history; biospecimens; and assessments of social, emotional, and cognitive development. The sample will be enhanced to include pregnant mothers who experience adversities during pregnancy including, but not limited to, exposures to substances (e.g., opioids, stimulants, alcohol, nicotine, cannabis). HBCD Study data are made available to qualified researchers through the NIH Brain Development Cohorts (NBDC) Data Hub. Learn more with the resources below:

Email: hbcd@nida.nih.gov

The Justice Community Overdose Innovation Network (JCOIN) is a nationwide program that tests strategies to expand effective treatment, recovery, and related services for individuals involved in the criminal justice system. Many people with opioid and other substance use disorders pass through the criminal justice system. Individuals who do not receive effective treatment while incarcerated will return to the community with a significantly heightened risk of relapse, overdose, and death in the first few weeks post-release. Thus, the criminal justice system represents a key intervention touchpoint to address the overdose crisis. JCOIN projects span all key points of the sequential intercept model of criminal justice involvement (e.g., emergency response, law enforcement diversion/deflection, courts, jail, prison, re-entry services, probation/parole) to address overdose prevention. Learn more with the resources below:

Email: Tisha Wiley, Ph.D., Tisha.wiley@nih.gov

The Native Collective Research Effort to Enhance Wellness (N CREW) Program supports Tribes and Native-Serving Organizations (T/NSOs) to conduct locally prioritized research to address overdose, substance use, and pain, including related factors such as mental health and wellness. Learn more using the button below:

Visit the NCREW page to learn more about the program