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Quantitative Ultrasound-Based Characterization of Human Fetal Brain Maturation

Award Number: K99HD123776
ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT
OPDIV: NIH
AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY
AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/08/2026
PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

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Quantitative Ultrasound-Based Characterization of Human Fetal Brain Maturation - PROJECT SUMMARY The objective of this proposed research is to characterize human fetal brain tissue in vivo across normative fetal development using quantitative ultrasound-based (QUS) techniques that quantify tissue microstructural and functional properties in a system- and operator-independent way1. In vivo, ultrasonic microstructural and functional quantification of maturing human fetal brain tissue has never been studied before and could contribute to impactful scientific understanding of normative fetal brain maturation processes2, beyond structural organization only (conventional B-mode ultrasound3-6). Currently, the only way to study fetal brain tissue properties is by collecting postmortem ex vivo tissue11, which makes longitudinal follow-up impossible. However, by using in vivo, QUS-based tissue characterization, it is possible to study brain tissue properties in viable pregnancies from the beginning of brain formation through to birth. This approach uses ultrasound radiofrequency echo data already routinely captured by clinical ultrasound equipment combined with algorithms that quantify acoustic scattering and the frequency content of envelope-detected signals. In this K99/R00 proposal, we will study fetal brain tissue properties throughout normal pregnancy. Since fetal brain maturation has been shown to follow precisely scheduled cerebral cortex growth and folding2, we will compute QUS-based parameters and construct a spatio-temporal atlas that describes brain tissue microstructure and function, building on published image appearance-based structural atlases3,6. The World Health Organization international growth standards34 will be used to recruit healthy, normal pregnancies throughout. Published image appearance-based structural atlases have already revealed spatio-temporal patterns of development58-62, volumetric growth9,10, asymmetry8,9,61,63, and sex differences61,64, thus providing overwhelming evidence of the value of studying healthy, normative pregnancies. By studying a cohort of normative pregnancies, this proposal will innovate towards new standards of the acoustic properties of brain tissue. We will achieve this with three Specific Aims (SA). SA1: To build a spatio-temporal atlas of normative fetal brain tissue throughout brain maturation using QUS-based parameters that describe tissue microstructural properties. SA2: To characterize normative physiology of a clinically-relevant single plane of the fetal brain using temporal changes in envelope statistics-based parameters. SA3: To use QUS-based parameters in a clinically-relevant task of fetal gestational age estimation. Successful project execution will lead to impactful scientific understanding of maturing fetal brain tissue microstructural and functional properties, as well as an output spatio-temporal QUS-based parameter atlas that can enrich current ultrasound image appearance-based structural atlases.


Issue Date FY	Funding FY	Legal Entity Name	Legal Entity Address	Legal Entity City	Legal Entity State	Legal Entity Zip Code	Legal Entity COUNTY	Legal Entity COUNTRY	Assistance Listing	Award Code	Budget Year	Action Date	Action Type	Action Amount

Issue Date FY: 2026 ( Subtotal = $99,999 )
2026	2026	WEILL MEDICAL COLLEGE OF CORNELL UNIVERSITY	575 LEXINGTON AVE FL 9	NEW YORK	NY	10022	NEW YORK	USA	Child Health and Human Development Extramural Research	000	1	9/10/2026	NEW	$99,999
														Subtotal = $99,999

Grand Total All Awards = $99,999

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Quantitative Ultrasound-Based Characterization of Human Fetal Brain Maturation

Award Number: K99HD123776

ORGANIZATION: NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF CHILD HEALTH AND HUMAN DEVELOPMENT

OPDIV: NIH

AWARD CLASS: DISCRETIONARY

AWARD ACTIVITY TYPE: TRAINING/TRAINEESHIP

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE START DATE: 09/08/2026

PERIOD OF PERFORMANCE END DATE: 08/31/2028

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