DREAM BIG
Children are our future. Together, let’s maximize their potential.
Our mission is to expand knowledge and prevent mental illness.
Understanding development from its origins
A better understanding of children’s emotional and mental wellbeing starts with an understanding of the prenatal period. As a result of a process called foetal programming, experiences during pregnancy influence enduring changes in the body’s and brain’s structure and function. Pregnancy-related factors include maternal wellbeing, social support, nutrition, and mental health.
Accordingly, our collaborators lead research studies which follow children from the prenatal period, into childhood, adolescence and adulthood: MAVAN project (The Maternal Adversity, Vulnerability, And Neurodevelopment), ALSPAC (The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents And Children), Generation R (Generation Rotterdam),and GUSTO (Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes).
Dandelions and orchids
Despite facing challenging developmental environments, some children will grow and make their way into the world, like dandelions. Other, more sensitive chidren, require more care in order to be able to make their way. While these children are more susceptible to mental illness in adverse environnements, in the right conditions, they can accomplish extraordinary things. We often refer to them as orchids.
Our goal is to understand how prenatal adversity, the early childhood environment and children’s genetic makeup work together to influence children’s well-being.
DREAM BIG, accordingly, stands for Development Research in Environmental Adversity, Mental health, BIological vulnerability and Gender.
GENERAL FINDINGS
Here are a few important elements in determining children’s well-being
Early environment
Life events and parent-child interactions influence the development of children. Read more by clicking here.
Sex and gender
There are significant differences in how boys and girls are affected by mental illness. Read more by clicking here.
OUR RESEARCH
We examine the complex interplay between children’s genetic makeup and their earliest environment–the environment in which they develop during pregnancy to predict mental illness. We are also interested in how the early environment, such as parental care in the early years, stressors and social support influence this trajectory.
Do you want to collaborate with us?
OUR TEAM
This project joins the efforts of researchers who have been following children and their parents since pregnancy
Ashley D. Wazana, M.D.
DREAM BIG
Jonathan Evans, M.D.
ALSPAC
Rebecca Pearson, Ph.D.
ALSPAC
Henning Tiemeier, M.D., Ph.D.
Generation R
Michael Meaney, Ph.D.
MAVAN/GUSTO
A GLOBAL EFFORT
PARTICIPANTS
(UBC)
PARTICIPANTS
(MAVAN)
PARTICIPANTS
(ALSPAC)
PARTICIPANTS
(Generation R)
PARTICIPANTS
(GUSTO)
OUR COLLABORATORS
OUR FUNDINGS AND SPONSORS
Contact Us
Send us an email at dreambigresearch@gmail.com