This $176,638 Project Grant award from the National Institute of Mental Health (CFDA 93.242 Mental Health Research Grants) supports research to investigate how the unpredictability of parent behavior during infancy impacts the development of emotion regulation in early childhood and associated brain function. The Washington University in St. Louis, as the prime awardee, will leverage an ongoing longitudinal study to assess how parent behavior, specifically the inconsistency of nurturing and supportive behaviors, relates to the subsequent development of brain systems that underlie emotion regulation and risk for childhood psychopathology. The findings aim to inform the design of novel parenting interventions to mitigate the negative impacts of unpredictable parent behavior on child mental health outcomes. This five-year award, starting April 1, 2025, provides an opportunity to advance the understanding of how early caregiving shapes neurodevelopment and predisposes children to mental health problems.