ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES

This study is testing whether adding a family advocate to a proven parenting program can help prevent substance use and reduce childhood trauma in 36 communities. About 360 families with at least one adult caregiver and one adolescent will take part. The goal is to see if the ext…

This study tests a coaching program called GRIT for teens aged 11-14 who have had four or more adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and do not yet regularly use alcohol or cannabis. The program, delivered by community health workers over six video sessions, teaches self-regulatio…

This study looks at how difficult childhood experiences change brain function and reactions to nicotine in young adults who have never smoked. Researchers will give participants a small dose of nicotine or a placebo and use brain scans to measure responses. The goal is to underst…

This study looks at how difficult childhood experiences and sleep problems may harm blood vessel function in young adults aged 18-29. Researchers will measure sleep quality and blood vessel health in 70 participants. Some will then join a 6-week sleep improvement program to see i…

This study looks at how early childhood experiences—like breastfeeding, stress, and social factors—affect children with sickle cell disease. Researchers will work with 20 mothers of infants with sickle cell disease in Birmingham, Alabama, to see if a community-based breastfeeding…

This study looks at how experiencing violence at school—like a shooting—and the safety measures schools put in place afterward affect the mental health and learning of students and staff. Researchers will survey 2,500 middle and high school students and teachers from schools that…

This study tests a program that brings together pediatricians, community health workers, and parenting educators to support families with adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). The goal is to lower stress and improve health in children ages 3 to 11. Researchers will compare famili…