# Socioeconomic Disparities in Cognitive and Neural Development in the First 3 years

> **NIH NIH R01** · COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE · 2022 · $423,565

## Abstract

Socioeconomic disadvantage in childhood is associated with deleterious effects on cognitive
development and academic achievement, which in turn have long-lasting ramifications for numerous physical
and mental health outcomes across the lifespan. Yet, our understanding of the experiential, physiological,
epigenetic and neural pathways through which socioeconomic disparities shape developmental processes is just
beginning to emerge. The core contribution of the proposed research would be to further this understanding, by
marrying state-of-the-art measurement of brain function, physiology and epigenetics with a sophisticated
conceptual and empirical understanding of socioeconomic inequality and experience. In this project, we will
investigate how distal factors like SES operate through more proximate factors such as the home language
environment and perceived and physiologic stress, and how these proximate factors shape the development of
distinct neural and cognitive systems. Two pathways are hypothesized. First, we predict that socioeconomic
disparities in the quality and quantity of linguistic stimulation in the home lead to differences in the function of
language-specific brain processes, which in turn lead to differences in child language development. Secondly,
we predict that SES disparities in perceived stress as well as physiologic stress (cortisol, epigenetics) lead to
differences in the function of memory-specific brain processes, which in turn lead to differences in child memory
development. To test these hypotheses, a longitudinal study is proposed in which a socioeconomically diverse
cohort of 200 children and their families will be followed from birth through age 3. The development of early
language and memory skills will be tracked, along with family SES, the home language environment, perceived
stress, stress physiology, epigenetics, and brain function. The following specific aims are proposed: (1) Examine
longitudinally from birth to 3 the relations among SES, language, memory and brain development. (2) Examine
whether socioeconomic disparities in cognitive and brain development are mediated by (a) the home language
environment and (b) perceived and physiologic stress. This innovative research will elucidate the pathways
linking socioeconomic disparities to specific cognitive and neural outcomes. This is aligned with NICHD’s mission
to assist children to “achieve their full potential for healthy and productive lives.”

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10478879
- **Project number:** 5R01HD093707-05
- **Recipient organization:** COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY TEACHERS COLLEGE
- **Principal Investigator:** Kimberly G Noble
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $423,565
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-01 → 2025-06-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10478879

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10478879, Socioeconomic Disparities in Cognitive and Neural Development in the First 3 years (5R01HD093707-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-25 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10478879. Licensed CC0.

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