Our Mission & Vision

Advancing understanding of early brain development represents an imperative for improving capacity to support lifelong health and prevention of brain-based disorders. However, there are unique challenges associated with studying early brain development that hinder progress. The FIT’NG network provides an optimal setting for interdisciplinary efforts to address these challenges.

The network provides a forum that supports this goal through bringing together scientists and clinicians across multiple disciplines (e.g. neuroscience, computer science, biomedical engineering, psychology, psychiatry, and public health), career stages, and geographic regions to encourage collaboration and innovation. We have three core focus areas: methodological development, education/training advancement, and data sharing and integration. A primary objective spanning these areas is to encourage the establishment and dissemination of guidelines to support best practices for methods used to study the developing brain, including EEG, fNIRS, MRI, MEG, OCT, histology, DOT, ultrasound, and others. These methods are rapidly evolving and present unique challenges when applied to the study of fetal, infant and toddler brains. We aim to break down silos and support synergistic efforts that will allow research in this area to realize its full potential in contributing to scientific discovery, medical innovation, and policy.