“The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD)Study:
Overview and Contributions to our Understanding of Adolescent Mental Health”

Webinar Description:
 
The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study is a national Consortium study funded by the National Institutes of Health. To date, 11,875 children (including both singletons and twins) ages 9-10 have been enrolled across 21 data collection sites with the goal of investigating brain and behavioral development between late childhood and young adulthood. Because participants will complete comprehensive behavioral and neuroimaging assessments longitudinally, the ABCD Study is well-positioned to answer questions about the developing brain and the many childhood experiences that shape social, emotional, intellectual, and physical growth as well as mental health. Drs. Luciana and Iacono direct the University of Minnesota’s ABCD data collection site. They will provide an overview of the study and will discuss its potential to inform our understanding of adolescent mental health.
 



 
Presenter Bios:
 
Monica Luciana, Ph.D.,
The focus of my research is to examine brain/behavior relationships in adults and children. Specifically, I am interested in the neurobiology of behaviors that are mediated by the brain's prefrontal cortex, including working memory, planning, and emotional control. 
 
William Iacono, Ph.D.,
In most of my research, family, adoptive, and twin study designs are used to investigate the development and etiology of common mental disorders, including substance use, antisocial, and major depressive disorders. This work is carried out through the Minnesota Center for Twin and Family Research that I co-direct with Matt McGue, and include the Minnesota Twin Family Study (MTFS) and the Sibling Interaction and Behavior Study SIBS.