Conference on Shaping the Developing Brain: Prenatal through Early Childhood

New York Academy Of Sciences, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

This award will emable the participation of students and early-career professionals in the conference, Shaping the Developing Brain: Prenatal through Early Childhood, to be held November 11 - 13, 2014 at the New York Academy of Sciences in New York City. This multidisciplinary conference will convene leading researchers with expertise in the fundamental stages of early brain development, and will include exploration of the connection between research and improved outcomes for children. Conference sessions will present the latest discoveries regarding the development of human learning and memory, emotion, and social behavior in the first few years of life and explore socioeconomic, family, and nutritional factors that can influence both brain and behavior. Discussion topics will include implications for educational practices, health and nutrition practices, applied research, and government policy with the potential for enhancing healthy brain development and assisting children with, or at risk for, developmental delays and disorders. Through a competitive application process, travel and registration fellowships, underrepresented minority fellowships, and child care grants will be awarded to 23 students, postdoctoral fellows, junior investigators, and recent graduates in science, medicine, psychology, education, and public health. Fellowships and grants will be awarded to applicants based on a written description of need, the relevance of their work to the conference topics, and letters of recommendation. Applicants who received high marks on their research abstracts to present during the conference poster sessions will be given priority. Participation in the conference will provide opportunities for outstanding individuals in the initial stages of their careers to interact with and gain insight from senior researchers, promoting future collaborations addressing the cognitive and behavioral development of the nation's most vulnerable children.