Brain Development and Our Kids Future

the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study

A Congressional Briefing Sponsored by

The Friends of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and
the Friends of the National Institute on Drug Abuse
In cooperation with

The Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery Caucus

Monday, September 19, 2016, 12:00 1:30 PM (lunch will be available)
Rayburn House Office Building, Gold Room (2168)
Adolescence is a time of extraordinary physical, emotional, and intellectual growth. It is also a period of increased
vulnerability when risky behaviors, such as use of alcohol, nicotine, marijuana and other drugs, emerge as youth attempt
to navigate an increasingly complex world. Yet, there is much we do not understand about how individual childhood
experiences (e.g., exercise and sports, videogames, unhealthy sleep patterns, substance exposure, etc.) influence
development and either promote or interfere with long-term cognitive, behavioral and physical health outcomes. The
Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) study, the largest long-term study of brain development and child
health in the United States, was designed to address these knowledge gaps. Integrating structural and functional brain
imaging with genetics, neuropsychological, behavioral, and other health assessments, scientists will study approximately
10,000 children across the country beginning at ages 9-10, through adolescence and into young adulthood to determine
the many factors that can enhance or disrupt a young persons life trajectory. The actionable information coming out of
this study will enable education, substance use prevention, and other health promotion policies to ensure the wellbeing
and success of the Nations children.
Speakers will provide an overview of the ABCD Study and discuss the implications of this research for education,
health, and mental health. Representatives of other NIH Institutes and Centers will also be available to discuss
their interests in the Study and to answer questions.

Speakers
Sandra Brown, PhD
Vice Chancellor for Research and Distinguished
Professor, University of California San Diego, CoDirector ABCD Study Coordinating Center

Thomas Brock, PhD

Commissioner of the National Center for Education
Research at the Institute of Education Sciences

Sharon Levy, MD, MPH

Director, Adolescent Substance Use Disorders Program,
Boston Childrens Hospital

Kevin Gray, MD
Director, Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Medical
University of South Carolina

Discussants
Nora D. Volkow, MD
Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH

George F. Koob, PhD

Director of the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and
Alcoholism, NIH

Sponsoring Organizations
Alkermes American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry American Academy of Pediatrics American Association of Child
& Adolescent Psychiatry American College of Emergency Physicians American College of Neuropsychopharmacology
American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists American Psychiatric Association American Psychological Association
American Society of Addiction Medicine Association of American Medical Colleges Capitol Decisions Inc. Community AntiDrug Coalitions of America Community of Concern Consortium of Social Science Associations Entertainment Industries
Council, Inc. Federation of Associations in Behavioral and Brain Sciences Foundation for Advancing Alcohol Responsibility
Friends of the National Institute on Drug Abuse IC&RC International Society on Addictions NAADAC, the Association for
Addiction Professionals National Association for Children of Alcoholics National Association of Drug Court Professionals
National Association of State Alcohol and Drug Abuse Directors National Council for Behavioral Health National Foundation for
Prevention of Chemical Dependency Disease National Organization on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Pacific Institute for Research
and Evaluation Phoenix House Research Society on Alcoholism Society for Prevention Research, Inc. Society for Research in
Child Development University of Florida, Department of Psychiatry

Please RSVP Here. Contact Cynthia Malley (cmalley@apa.org) with any further questions.