While we possess rather detailed understanding of select micro- and macroscopic processes of normal human brain development, we know far less about how brain changes relate to behavioral changes over the course of life from the prenatal period to early adulthood. This lack of understanding is especially pronounced in the very early years of human life, when change is most rapid and vulnerability heightened. The primary objective of my research is to characterize fundamental properties of human brain macroscale neural system development and examine how early experiences, beginning in utero, influence lifelong learning and neurological health. We are testing models in which early psychosocial stress and concomitant chemical exposure influence development of neural systems, particularly those that support the establishment of cognitive control and regulatory processes in childhood. Rigorous evaluation of emergent self-regulatory processes and their neurological and biobehavioral bases has potential to inform educational strategies and lead to biologically-informed behavioral interventions for those with enhanced risk.