The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study team at the University of Pittsburgh is immensely grateful to all the participants who have partnered with us on this important study! The Pittsburgh ABCD team has enrolled over 330 children from 48 schools so far. Led by Dr. Duncan Clark, the team is gearing up for a busy summer when we welcome many new families and greet our returning families at their follow-up visits.
As our families are escorted to their brain scan appointment, they can catch a glimpse of the famous Gothic-style building towering over the University of Pittsburgh campus (see photo). Built in 1926, the Cathedral of Learning has 42 floors and looks like it belongs at Hogwarts. University students usually take the elevator, but running up the 764 steps is a challenge that some take on instead of going to the gym! The Cathedral has 30 nationality rooms that house artifacts and decorations representing the many cultures that have settled in our area.
The Pittsburgh ABCD site is also part of a new study funded by the National Institute of Justice that focuses on social development and the brain. ABCD participants from Pittsburgh, along with the University of Michigan, the University of Florida, the University of Maryland, and Yale University, will soon have the opportunity to participate in this additional project, so stay tuned!

Members of the University of Pittsburgh ABCD team:
Back row (left to right): Cynthia Ruglovsky,
Regina Schrecengost, Christina Long, and Sarah Doyle
Front row (left to right): Doug Fitzgerald, Duncan Clark,
Emalee Dauginikas, Megan Retucci, and Kelsey Keister
The Science of the Smartphone Backlash: Are our devices doing us more harm than good? It’s complicated.
ABCD Study Principal Investigator Dr. Lindsay Squeglia was recently featured in Popular Mechanics to discuss how ABCD researchers plan to further our understanding of how social media and smartphones impact child development. Click here to read the full article. (Popular Mechanics, 03/15/18)
ABCD Staff Member of the Month!
Congratulations to Norma Castro, Lab Manager and Site Coordinator at the University of California, San Diego, for her efficiency and patience in working with children, attentiveness in providing customer service to parents, positive attitude, and supreme organizational skills!
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