Developmental neuroscience and psychopathology have great potential to inform the understanding of the
causal pathways and mechanisms of mental illness. This T32, which is focused on this domain, is co-led by
Drs. Luby and Barch (with complimentary expertise in developmental psychopathology and neuroscience), and
has been very successful in the first two cycles of funding, enjoying a highly competitive national applicant pool
and successfully launching the young scientists completing the program into research careers and external
funding. We seek to renew this training grant, adding new expertise in a wider range of neuroimaging
measures, as well as new faculty mentors with expertise in the effects of genetics, the gut microbiome, and
sleep/circadian rhythms on neurodevelopment and risk for psychopathology. From a public health perspective,
an infusion of new research scientists in the area of developmental neuroscience and psychopathology
continues to be a high priority. The proposed multi-disciplinary training approach is guided by a conceptual
model that recognizes that the risk, onset, and course of psychiatric disorders arises through a complex
interplay of brain developmental processes influenced by environmental, psychosocial, cognitive, affective,
genetic, and biological factors that interact beginning in utero and continue throughout development.
Numerous investigators at Washington University in St. Louis (WUSTL) have a rich track record of experience
in many aspects of child neuroimaging and related methods, including a focus on structural and functional
magnetic resonance approaches in very early childhood (including neonates), functional near-infrared
spectroscopy (fNIRS), evoked response potentials (ERP) and high density diffuse optical tomography (HD-
DOT). Further, WUSTL has an international reputation in psychiatric genetics, gut microbiome work, and
sleep/circadian rhythms, with many researchers who can bring their expertise to bear on understanding the
neurobiology of developmental psychopathology. The program mentors have a rich body of available
databases derived from longitudinal studies, several of which began in early childhood and in utero. Mentors
also provide a unique multidisciplinary training environment in which to pursue this exciting domain focused on
development, given the established collaborations between child researchers in the WUSTL School of
Medicine clinical and basic departments, and the state of the program in neuroscience and neuroimaging at
WUSTL that has been at the forefront of developmental cognitive and affective neuroscience. Interactions
between researchers in basic and clinical developmental neuroscience offer an ongoing opportunity to help
train the next generation of young scientists who can pursue questions about the developmental etiology of
psychopathology from the perspective of core psychological and neural mechanisms of human behavior that
span traditional boundaries of psychopathology, an approach central to the NIMH Research Domain Criteria
Initiative (RDOC).
Public Health Relevance Statement
The area of developmental neuroscience and psychopathology has already demonstrated great potential to
inform the understanding of the causal pathways and mechanisms of mental illness. This training grant
renewal seeks to continue to develop new research scientists in this area, building on the track record of
success over the last two cycles. The division of Child Psychiatry at Washington University School of Medicine
is well poised to continue and expand this unique post-doctoral training program based on established
expertise in a range of child neuroimaging modalities, genetics, gut microbiome, and sleep/circadian rhythms
offered by the multidisciplinary mentoring group. The program is directed by two researchers with
complimentary expertise in developmental psychopathology (Dr. Joan Luby) and clinical neuroscience and
neuroimaging (Dr. Deanna Barch) who have successfully collaborated on the first two cycles of funding,
launching numerous young scientists in this domain.
No Sub Projects information available for 5T32MH100019-12
Publications
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Outcomes
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Clinical Studies
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History
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