Located in upstate New York, the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study site at the University of Rochester has enrolled over 300 students since joining the study last year. Led by Dr. John Foxe and Dr. Ed Freedman, the Rochester team is thrilled to welcome back families for their first annual follow-up visits while also continuing to enroll new participants until the recruitment window closes later this month. Thank you to all our dedicated ABCD families and to our communities and schools for their continued support!
During their visits, our ABCD families enjoy learning about the brain by playing with different anatomical models they find throughout our lab. A bulletin board in the lobby also features a color-coded diagram of the brain that students can use to identify structures on a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) picture of their own brain. This multifunctional bulletin board also displays artwork that students have created, such as tracings of their brain and original drawings (see photo below).
Parents often engage the research assistants in conversation about the study and ongoing research in the lab. Overall, our enrollment success would not have been possible without cooperation and enthusiasm from the Rochester City School District and other districts in the surrounding areas. After hearing about the study from participating families, the science department of the Webster Central School District organized a field trip to our site where students learned about the different jobs offered here and how to get involved in science after college. They even had an opportunity to speak with our MRI technologist and observe part of a scanning session!

Members of the Rochester ABCD Study Team:
Back row (left to right): John Foxe, Ph.D., Brianne Roche, Allison Havens, and Ed Freedman, Ph.D.
Front row (left to right): Preshetha Kanagaiah, Emily Richardson, and Nicole Vieyto
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