Children’s Hospital Los Angeles & the University of California, Los Angeles

Since its launch, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have enrolled nearly 100 families in the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study.

Dr. Elizabeth R. Sowell and Dr. Susan Bookheimer lead the ABCD research teams at CHLA and UCLA, respectively. The teams have been working diligently to see participants any day of the week, including after school, on weekends, and on school holidays. (Photo: CHLA Program manager, Mei Hoong, and PI, Elizabeth R. Sowell, Ph.D.)

We are working closely with the Los Angeles, Inglewood and Torrance Unified School Districts, talking to parents, students, and teachers about brain development at individual schools. These efforts have generated a great deal of excitement about brain science.

So far, families who have completed the study say they are proud to contribute to research that can help others. We even had a student volunteer offer to talk to other students about his experiences in hopes that they will also want to participate. We want to thank those who have contributed and hope to see everyone again at follow-up! We would also like to thank the schools that have continued to work with us to reach our goals and improve children’s lives.

MRI is very safe! It gives researchers a detailed image of the brain and does not use radiation. No health risks have been associated with repeated exposure to the magnetic field or radio waves used in MRI. Read more about MRI on our FAQ page.

National Study Looks at Adolescent Brains
CHLA Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Sowell, discusses how adolescence is a crucial time during brain development: “This is really important because we all know that adolescence is a time when dramatic physical, emotional and social changes occur.”
Click here to read more (L.A. Parent, 3/11/17)