Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children may be associated with problems with the health of the placenta during late pregnancy, according to a new study by University of Iowa Health Care researchers. The findings, published in JAMA Psychiatry, helps to identify a risk factor in pregnancy that is linked to ADHD in children, and potentially points to new treatment targets for ADHD.

University of Iowa postdoctoral fellow Maddie Mocchi, PhD, has won a 2026 Young Investigator Award from the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation. The two-year, $70,000 grant helps promising young scientists launch careers in neuroscience and psychiatry, supporting either extended research fellowship training or starting a research lab as a junior faculty member.