OUR PROJECTS
The GARD Lab uses existing data while we launch new studies and partnerships in the DC Metro area! Check out some of our projects and the collaborators and community members who make this work possible!
Representation and Research Ethics (RARE)
The Representation and Research Ethics (RARE) project is a community-based study focused on increasing the representation of individuals from diverse backgrounds in biosocial research, and including communities of color in the decision-making process. This project will conduct focus groups and qualitative interviews with community leaders and members to help us understand how to mitigate barriers to research participation, learn community concerns and interests, and develop stronger university-community partnerships. This study will lay the foundation for a sustaining research registry for children and families from diverse and historically marginalized communities.
*Click here for more information*
Collaborators: Dr. Fanita Tyrell (Co-PI), Dr. Collin Mueller (Co-I)

Community and Resilient Environments (CARE)
The Community and Resilient Environments (CARE) Project examines the influence of neighborhood factors on adolescent development. The first phase of the study begins with focus groups and semi-structured qualitative interviews to investigate how adolescents and their parents perceive their neighborhoods. The project focuses on three domains: (1) neighborhood boundaries, (2) assets and risks for child health and well-being, and (3) community social relationships. Data collection will begin this fall by recruiting participants from Wards 4 and 5 of NE Washington, D.C.
*Click here for more information*

Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development Study
The Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) study is a population-based sample of nearly 12,000 9 – 10 year-olds who will be followed into young adulthood. Families from all over the United States are participating in this study to help us understand how the brain develops over time and how the social and physical environment shape child health. The ABCD Study is the largest long-term study of brain development and child health!
Link: https://abcdstudy.org/
Collaborators: Lea Dougherty (UMD), Chandra Sripada (University of Michigan)
Study of Adolescent Neurodevelopment
The Study of Adolescent Neurodevelopment is a population-based sample of 237 adolescent youth from Detroit, Toledo, and Chicago. Families are part of a larger study of 4,898 children born between 1998 and 2000 and followed since the children were born. At the University of Michigan, families were invited to participate in an MRI scan, share their experiences with us, and play computer games. We are excited to follow their development as they transition into adulthood!
https://fragilefamilies.princeton.edu/
Collaborators: Luke Hyde, Christopher Monk, Colter Mitchell, Nestor Lopez-Duran, Erin Ware, University of Michigan Ann Arbor; Sarah McLanahan, Daniel Notterman, Princeton University; Jeanne Brooks-Gunn, Columbia University
