September 2018 - ABCD Study

Welcome to the ABCD Study Newsletter!

ABCD Study News!

SRI International

The Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study site at SRI International (SRI), located in Menlo Park, California, is at the center of Silicon Valley. Many area residents work in science and technology industries, so it is no surprise that lots of students are interested in participating in the ABCD Study—from Napa all the way down to San Jose. ABCD SRI is led by Drs. Fiona Baker and Ian Colrain (see team photo, below) and has enrolled more than 320 youth to date, of whom 100 have SRI mannequin returned for their first annual follow-up visits. We enjoy celebrating these milestones and recently organized a team get-together, which included golf cart rides with “Marty”, the mannequin head (see photo)! Thank you to all our ABCD families for your generosity, enthusiasm, and commitment to ABCD!
Photo above: A participant learns about brain waves with “Marty”, the mannequin head, while taking a fun ride through campus.

VCU team
Members of the SRI International ABCD Study Team:
Back row (left to right): Yun Qi Lim, Jose Garcia, Fiona Baker, Devin Prouty, and Stephanie Claudatos
Front row (left to right): Aimee Goldstone, Maureen Gil,
Ellen Smith, and Vanessa Alschuler

SRI is one of only two ABCD sites not affiliated with a university (the other is the Laureate Institute for Brain Research in Oklahoma). SRI is a nonprofit research institute that conducts multiple studies across various fields, including artificial intelligence, cyber security, education, and, of course, biosciences! SRI is the birthplace of SIRI (later acquired by Apple) and is also where the original computer mouse was developed.

Besides keeping the SRI ABCD site thriving and productive, our team helps families learn more about brain research. During breaks, participants visit the Human Sleep Research Laboratory where they can relax, play games, have snacks, and learn about sleep polysomnography to see how brain waves look during sleep!

Our team enjoys working with a diverse group of families and seeing the growth of the children when they come back for their follow-up visits. We also enjoy collaborating with other ABCD sites. A couple of SRI research assistants recently visited the University California, San Diego and Oregon Health & Science University to see how research is done at those locations. We welcome ABCD visitors to our site too!

Students' Space

A participant’s rendition of a joyful ABCD brain. If only our real brains were this colorful!

Brain picture

Did You Know?

While you sleep, your brain stays very active! It locks in what you learned throughout the day, clears out the “trash,” and creates space for new information. It also recharges for the next day. Read more about why sleep is so important for a healthy brain at Sleep.org.

Fun Fact About Silicon Valley
Robots are roaming Silicon Valley! Silicon Valley is home to the K5 robot that is often seen hanging out at shopping malls, coffee shops, and even corporate offices (see photo). These robots use sensors and cameras to collect and process data, and notify human police officers if there is trouble.
robot
Source: Fooyoh

ABCD Staff Member of the Month
Congratulations to Chantel Ebrahimi, UCLA Recruitment Coordinator, for her success in increasing recruitment in our Los Angeles site and for her unwavering commitment to the ABCD study. Chantel’s energy and enthusiasm for research always radiate in all of her interactions with families and teammates.

If you have questions and would like to reach someone on your ABCD Study team, please click here.

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