Currently Recruiting Studies

ABSCAN Cannabis Study

With support from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), our researchers are aiming to improve our understanding of brain development in adolescents 15-18 with and without cannabis use disorder. Participation will involve 9 visits across 7 weeks and participants will be compensated for their time. Visits will involve the following:

• Questionnaires
• Clinical Interviews
• Cognitive Tasks
• Functional MRI scan
• Urine Samples

Participation in this study will allow us to answer questions such as:

• What happens to the brain when teens stop using cannabis for a short period of time?
• How does adolescent brain development change among teens who use cannabis vs those who have never used cannabis?
• What behavioral factors are common among teens with cannabis use disorder?

Click here to take the next step in enrolling in the ABSCAN study!

Iron and Adolescent Brain Health

We are studying the effects of iron deficiency on brain development in people ages 16-20 with or without a history of iron deficiency. Data will be collected through 2 study visits, each lasting approximately 2 and a half hours, one virtual and one in-person at the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research. You will be compensated for completing the following activities:

• Questionnaires
• Cognitive tasks (computer-based puzzles and games)
• A blood draw to assess iron status
• An MRI scan of the brain

If you are interested, please fill out the form below to tell us your availability for a phone screening survey to determine if you are eligible. If you are eligible, we will schedule your virtual and in-person visits. In your virtual visit, we will go over consent documents, send you links to some health questionnaires, and administer cognitive tasks. During your in-person visit, we will have you complete a pregnancy test, a blood draw, an MRI scan, and some related survey questions.

Your participation in this study is critical to our success, and will drive research that has the potential to improve the lives of people around the world. Please fill out our contact form if you have any questions or are interested in participating!

Click here for the contact form for the Iron study!

Individual functional network organization in the developing brain

In collaboration with The Cognition and Neurodevelopmental Studies Lab we are studying early brain development.

Parents of 0-3 month-old infants may be eligible to enroll in this study. Parents who are currently pregnant can also reach out to the study team if they are interested in participating once their child reaches the appropriate age.

Click here to learn more about the Baby Brain Development Study! 

Precision Imaging on Plasticity

In collaboration with Washington University in St. Louis, we are studying brain development in newborns. The goal of this study is to gain a better understanding of brain neuroplasticity during development.

Parents who are currently pregnant or parents of a healthy newborn born at 35-week gestation or more may be eligible to enroll in this study.

Participating families will be invited to 6 MRI scans at the Masonic Institute for the Developing Brain with their newborn baby, and additional visits at the age of 4 months and 14 months. Some families will be randomly assigned to our massage group. The group assignment is completely random, like the flip of a coin. If a family is assigned to the massage group, they will do a massage training with us and will practice baby massage 3 times a day (15 minutes each time) for 5 to 14 days in between their MRI visits. You will be compensated for your time and participation.

The total study duration is 14 months. Each MRI visit will take about 3 hours including time for feeding and changing. The 4-month and 14-month visit will take between 2-3 hours each. If you're interested in our study, please click the link below. It will direct you to a self-screener form where you will be asked some questions to determine if you're eligible for our study. If you're eligible, one of our staff members will reach out to you soon to schedule a formal screening session, an e-consent session and all the visits.

You will not benefit from being in this study. However, we hope that in the future, other people might benefit from this study because we hope to learn more about how the human brain works. If you have any questions, please send us an email at [email protected] or call us at 612-625-6145.

Click here to fill out the eligibility form for the PIP study!

Open EF Executive Function Study

Supported by the University of Minnesota’s MIDB SEED Grant Program and the Jacobs Foundation, the OpenEF Study aims to better understand how executive function (EF)—the ability to plan, focus, and regulate behavior—develops in adolescents.

Individuals between 10-25 years old who do not have any diagnosis, treatment, or current medication for any psychiatric presentation in the past 12 months are eligible to enroll in this study.

Participation will involve weekly visits over an 8-week period, and participants will be compensated for their time. Visits will involve 
the following:

• Questionnaires
• In-person behavioral & cognitive assessments
• Daily remote smartphone-based cognitive tasks
• Functional MRI scan (optional)
• Blood sampling (optional)
• Smartwatch monitoring (optional)

Participation in this study will help us answer questions such as: 

• How do daily changes in executive function track with brain
  activity and behavior in adolescents?
• What brain networks are linked to both stable traits and 
  day-to-day shifts in executive function?
• How do biological markers of brain plasticity (e.g., BDNF in 
  exosomes) relate to learning and cognitive growth during 
  adolescence?

By joining the study, participants contribute to cutting-edge research that may shape future tools for monitoring and supporting adolescent mental health and development.

Click here to take the next step in enrolling in the OpenEF study!