Project STAR

Project Summary

Principal Investigator: Katherine Ehrlich
Funding Agency: Jacobs Foundation, Brain and Behavior Research Foundation
Year Project Began: 2021

Project STAR (Strong Teens Achieving Resilience) examines the connections between academic performance, mental health, and physical health in African American and Hispanic/Latinx children ages 8-16. This study also looks at how factors such as systemic racism and living and learning environments affect resilience and physical and mental health in children. Participants complete surveys, NIH Toolbox cognitive tasks, and provide school records. Children also provide blood samples for subsequent assessment of inflammation and cardiometabolic health. The aim is to learn more about factors that promote healthy child development, especially identifying factors that help children thrive in challenging contexts.

Data is collected from study participants during 3 visits over 12 months (n = 165); data collection will conclude in May 2023.

Project STAR website: Project STAR | Health and Development Laboratory