What does the study do? Who can participate?

Leading researchers in the fields of child development and neuroscience will work with participating families and their children to understand how the brain develops and is affected by exposure to substances and other environmental, social, and biological factors during pregnancy and after birth. What we learn from this research will have lasting impacts on future generations of children.

The study will collect information beginning at birth and through early childhood, including anthropometrics (growth measures); medical and family history; biospecimens (samples such as urine and blood); and social, emotional, and cognitive function.​ Structural and functional brain imaging are also done to help see the different parts of the brain and measure activity.

Who can participate?

Participating families will be individuals who join mostly in the second trimester of pregnancy and continue in the study with their newborn infants. Some individuals may be invited to join the study later in their pregnancy or shortly after delivery. It is important that people who join the study are of different races and ethnicities, with varied education, income levels, and living environments.

What will study participants be expected to do?

• During these visits, you will be asked to complete interviews and questionnaires. 

  In addition, you and/or your child will be asked to:  

  • Provide samples, such as blood (birth parent), urine and saliva (birth parent and child)
  • Participate in behavioral assessments
  • Wear activity and/or heart rate trackers for brief periods of time
  • Undergo safe, non-invasive methods that provide pictures of your child’s brain and measure the brain activity of your child

  After the first year, some of these assessments will be repeated each year. There is no cost and participants will be compensated for participation. 

Become a Participant

Complete the interest form by linking this link to become a participant:
https://hbcdstudy.org/find-a-recruitment-site/

The Auditory Research Laboratory at Northwestern University is looking for participants for a research study on otoacoustic emissions (OAEs). This study lays the foundation for assimilating advanced DPOAE diagnostics into clinical practice.

You could be eligible if you:

• Age 18 to 59 years

• Ability to read and understand English

• Normal hearing or hearing loss, no greater than moderate in degree in the better ear

If eligible you could:

• Be compensated $20 per hour for their time spent in the study
• Learn more about your hearing difficulties

What will I do if I participate?

You will be given a hearing test and will find out about your hearing. You will sit quietly and listen to sounds while measurements are taken with a small microphone in the ear canal. Other tests will ask you to respond to sounds or words.

How long is the study?

You will be asked to attend 2 sessions. Each session typically lasts 2 to 2.5 hours.

This project has been reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board of Northwestern University with Dr. Sumitrajit Dhar and Dr. Shawn Goodman as Principal Investigators (STU00222463). This project is funded by the National Institutes of Health.

Interested?

Please e-mail us at noaext@northwestern.edu.

Thank you for your interest!

Auditory Research Laboratory, Northwestern University
hearing.northwestern.edu

Is your baby between 0- and 16-months-old? Please join us!

Thanks to families like yours, we will better understand how infants learn and how to support healthy infant development.

Babies begin learning from the moment they are born. Help us discover how they learn so much, so quickly. Together, we’ll see how your baby responds to colorful pictures and interesting sounds. You will help us discover how, in the first months of life, listening to language and other interesting sounds supports infant learning.

Eligibility

• Your baby is between 0 and 16 months old
• Your baby does not have hearing loss or impairment

In person, you will:

You and your baby will visit us for a quick half-hour at our research center on Northwestern’s Evanston campus, where we have instituted strict COVID-19 procedures to guard you and your baby’s health.

• You’ll be with your baby the whole time.
• Your study team will record audio and video of your baby during this session so that they can learn from your baby’s responses.
• You’ll get free parking.
• As thanks, you will be able to pick either $10 cash or a baby t-shirt and a book upon completion of the study.

Or participate online, from the comfort of your home!

• Participate online, from the comfort of your home!
• Complete a one-time 10-minute virtual study with your baby.
• Receive a $5 Amazon gift card as a thank you.

Contact Us

Visit link to bit.ly/ICDC_NU to sign up!

• https://childdevelopment.northwestern.edu/
• childdevelopment@northwestern.edu

Principal Investigator: Sandra Waxman

IRB ID: STU00104124, STU00091166

Investigating Warmth, Discipline, and Their Impact on Children with ADHD

This study evaluates how parental ADHD symptoms and parenting style influence a child’s behavior outcomes. To participate, you must have a child between the ages of 4 and 6 years old who is diagnosed with ADHD. This study will entail an online survey that will take up to 25 minutes. 

Participation:

Participating in this research is entirely voluntary. If you are interested in participating in this study or learning more about it, you can contact the Principal Investigator, Alissa Levy Chung

• To participate, email Alissa Levy Chung (alissa.chung@northwestern.edu) or the Student Investigator, Samantha Hesekiel (samanthahesekiel2025@u.northwestern.edu). 

• Alternatively, you can access the survey at this LINK.