AIR Hires ABCD Study Chief to Lead 100-Year AI Century Study
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Arlington, Va. – October 14, 2026 -- The American Institutes for Research (AIR) has hired neuroscientist Gayathri "Gaya" Dowling, who for more than a decade directed the $500 million Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study, to lead its 100-year AI Century Study on how artificial intelligence shapes human development, education and opportunity.
Dowling brings a decade of large-scale longitudinal study management to AIR
Dowling has led the ABCD Study since its inception in 2015. The project is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and led by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). It follows nearly 12,000 students from late childhood through adolescence into young adulthood, tracking biological and behavioral development.