Addressing the Gap in Research Training in Child Psychiatry and Neurodevelopment

Abstract

Psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions in children are common, often co-occur, and can be highly impairing. Moreover, psychiatric disorders that typically do not fully manifest until adulthood, such as schizophrenia, have their roots in early development, with atypical brain and behavioral patterns arising well before a clinical diagnosis is made. The relevance of brain development to improving outcomes of psychiatric and neurodevelopmental conditions underscores the need to cultivate a pipeline of investigators with the necessary training to conduct rigorous, developmentally focused research.