The Flux Society aims to advance the understanding of human brain development by serving as a forum for scientific discussion and educate the next generation of developmental cognitive neuroscience researchers. The success of this endeavour requires that we maintain a community where everyone is free to exchange their ideas in a safe, respectful, and fostering environment without bias, harassment (including sexual), incivility, or unprofessionalism.
The Flux Society Code of Conduct, below, reflects our Society’s values and our expectations for Society members and guests. While attending a Flux Congress, Satellite Meetings and any social event linked to the Flux Society, this Code of Conduct as well as the professional standards set by your home Institution or employer are always in effect.

1. Conduct should be free of biases regarding sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, cultural background, religion (or lack thereof), country of origin, disability, physical appearance, or other individual characteristics or expression. This conduct should be free of: stereotyping, undermining, using epithets/slurs, or acting in a threatening, intimidating, or hostile manner.

2. Members (and guests) should treat each other with respect. Flux Society has zero tolerance for sexual harassment including: any verbal or physical behavior that reflects unwelcome sexual advances or behaving in any way that another individual would feel that their boundaries have been impinged on. These unwelcome sexual behaviors include discussions, advances, comments, touching, propositions, social media communication, or display of sexual imagery. Particular care should be exercised by those with more senior professional rank so as to prevent junior members from perceiving that they are in an untenable or compromising position.

3. Discussions, including scientific, should be respectful, civil, professional, and constructive reflecting tolerance for disagreements and recognition of opportunities to learn from each other.

9:00 AM - 1:00 PM Pre-Conference Workshops I & II^{^}

Title: Developing a Toolkit for Studying the Interaction between Executive Function (EF) and Learning Disabilities, Sponsored by: Kennedy Krieger Institute 
Presenters: Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus, PhD, Jessica Church, PhD
Description: Explore how executive functions relate to learning disabilities like dyslexia, dyscalculia, and ADHD in this workshop. We'll cover cognitive testing, neurobiological correlations, and interventions that enhance academic skills, while discussing future directions and funding opportunities in this field.

Title: Beyond SES: Novel resources for placing Adolescent Brain and Cognitive Development (ABCD) investigations in the context of inequities in school quality, learning opportunities, academic achievement outcomes, and neighborhood characteristics. Sponsored by: Stanford Educational Neuroscience Initiative
Presenter: Bruce Mccandliss, PhD
Description: Explore how new resources are expanding the ABCD study by integrating crucial context on educational inequities, school quality, and neighborhood characteristics. This workshop will highlight innovative methods for examining how these factors impact academic achievement and lifelong health outcomes.

1:15 PM - 5:00 PM Pre-Conference Workshop III^{^}

Title: A New User's Guide to the HEALthy Brain Child Development (HBCD) Study
Presenter: Wesley Thompson, PhD
Description: Join us for a detailed introduction to the HBCD Study, which tracks 7,500 infants over a decade with comprehensive data on brain imaging, genetics, and development. This workshop will equip researchers with essential insights and tools to effectively navigate and utilize the study’s rich dataset upon its release in January 2025.

2:30 - 7:00 PM Registration & Congress Information Desk Open

4:00 - 7:00 PM Flux Board of Directors Meeting ⁺

5:30 - 6:20 PM Flux Trainee Workshop I: Career Perspective Panel

Panelists: Michelle Shipkova (Moderator), Elvisha Dhamala, Laura Thomas, Gagan S. Wig

6:30 - 7:20 PM Flux Trainee Workshop II: Grant Writing Panel

Panelists: Jin Wang (Moderator), Sarah Tashijian, Jamie Hanson, Ashley Smith, Natalie Hiromi Brito

7:00 - 9:30 PM Flux Board of Directors Dinner ⁺

7:30 - 8:30 PM Grant Writing Sub-Group Meeting⁺

^{^} Additional Cost      ⁺By invite only

8:00 AM - 5:30 PM Registration & Congress Information Desk Open

8:00 - 8:45 AM Diversity, Inclusion, & Belonging Committee Breakfast+

9:00 - 9:30 AM Opening Ceremonies

9:30 - 10:45 AM Science of Learning Symposia, Sponsored by Jacobs Foundation

Title: Nature and Nurture Contributions to Variation in Learning: Insights from Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Presenters: Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus (Chair), Emily Merz, Nicholas Judd, Tomas Paus, and Ece Demir-Lira
Description: Discover how socioeconomic disadvantage influences neural development and mental health through chronic stress in this engaging workshop. We will explore cutting-edge research on how socioeconomic factors impact cognitive and emotional control, and discuss strategies for supporting affected children and families.

11:00 - 11:20 AM Dissertation Award Talk

Title: Heterogeneity in the Neural Mechanisms of Adversity: Implications for Developmental Risk and Resilience
Presenters: Felicia Hardi
Description: In this special session we will explore the varying impacts of adversity on mental health in this workshop, which delves into how individual differences shape resilience and risk. Learn about cutting-edge research from a longitudinal study examining the neural mechanisms linking adverse experiences to mental health outcomes.

11:20 - 11:50 AM Young Investigator Award Talk, Sponsored by: Kennedy Krieger Institute

Title: Deficit, Difference, or Diversity? My journey investigating children’s language, experience, and development
Presenters: Rachel Romeo
Description: Our secondary session will explore the complexities of children's language development and the biological mechanisms behind individual differences in early communicative skills. This talk will share insights from my research journey, highlighting the impact of these differences on education, clinical practice, and social policy.

11:50 AM - 1:15 PM Trainee Lunch (off-site)*

11:50 AM - 1:15 PM Strategic Planning Task Force Lunch*

11:50 AM - 1:15 PM Lunch on Your Own

1:15 - 2:30 PM Concurrent Symposia

Title: How Unpredictable and Stressful Environments Impact Brain Development
Presenters: Jamie Hanson (Chair, Moderator) Tallie Z. Baram, Felicia Hardi, Erica Glasper, Fiia Takio
Description: Explore how unpredictable and stressful environments impact brain development in this workshop, focusing on the role of dynamic parental signals. We will present findings from both animal models and human studies, revealing how fragmented and unpredictable maternal behaviors affect brain maturation and cognitive outcomes.

Title: Decoding Adolescence: Disentangling Age and Pubertal Effects on the Developing Brain
Presenter: Nandita Vijayakumar (Chair, Presenter), Christopher Machle, Matthew Paul, Jennifer Pfeifer (Moderator)
Description: Dive into the complexities of adolescent brain development by exploring the distinct effects of age and puberty in this symposium. Featuring a series of talks and discussions, we will examine how puberty and age independently influence brain maturation and mental health, including insights from longitudinal studies and animal models.

2:45 - 4:00 PM DCN Public Policy Roundtable

Title: Thriving in Early Development: Improving Research to Essential Information and Access to Resources
Presenters: Sarah Short (Co-Chair), Maya Rosen (Co-Chair), Andrew Lynn (Moderator), Arianna Gard (Moderator), Natalie Brito, Haley Gibbs, Emily Murphy
Description: Discover how early caregiving and maternal stress influence infant brain and behavior in this insightful workshop. We will explore the impact of both immediate caregiver interactions and broader social policies, like paid leave, on early neurocognitive development and offer strategies to enhance research and access to essential resources.

4:00 - 5:30 PM Poster Presentation Session, Sponsored by: University of Maryland

6:30 - 10:00 PM Explore Baltimore: Cultural Experience Night (Offsite)*

^Additional Cost      *Registration Required

8:00 AM - 7:00 PM Registration, Exhibitors, & Congress Information Desk Open

9:00 - 10:15 AM Local Symposium, Sponsored by: Georgetown University

Title: From Neurons to Neighborhoods: Twenty-Five Years Later 
Presenters: Chandan Vaidya (Chair, Moderator) Arianna Gard, Autumn Ivy, Heather Volk, Nathan Fox
Description: On the eve of the 25th anniversary of the National Academies of Sciences' commissioned volume "Neurons to Neighborhoods: The science of early childhood development", this symposium will celebrate its transformative insights for an integrative research agenda for developmental cognitive neuroscience.  The speakers will highlight advances in understanding factors promoting risk and resilience for early brain development with data from animal models and humans. The symposium will end with a discussion of the major advances in our understanding of the interactive factors shaping the development of brain and behavior and challenges that remain in all children attaining positive developmental outcomes. 

10:30 - 11:15 AM Flash Talks

11:15 - 11:45 AM Linda Spear Mid-Career Award Talk

Title: Transactional Systems and Transparent Science: A Journey in Developmental Social Neuroscience 
Presenter: Jennifer Pfeifer, PhD
Description: Join us to explore cutting-edge insights in developmental social neuroscience, where we examine how adolescent brain development, social interactions, and internalizing problems are interconnected through a dynamic, transactional lens. This conference will also highlight the significance of transparent and inclusive scientific practices based on real-world advocacy and implementation experiences.

11:45 AM - 1:15 PM Lunch on Your Own

11:45 AM - 1:15 PM Affinity Group Meet Ups

1:15 - 2:25 PM Huttenlocher Award Talk, Sponsored by: Children's National Medical Center

Title: A Career in Neuroplasticity and Neuroplasticity in a Career
Presenter: Bradley Schlaggar, MD, PhD
Description: Dr. Schlaggar will share his career journey as a neurobiologist, academic physician-scientist, and nonprofit executive, describing how deep interests, plans, life events, and serendipity have interacted along the way.

2:45 - 4:00 PM Diversity Symposium

Title: Dis/Ability, Accessibility, and Inclusion: Shifting the focus from individuals to systems
Panelists: Monica E. Ellwood-Lowe (Chair/Panelist), Maira Karan (Moderator), Scott Hatley, Inge-Marie Eigsti
Description: This symposia explores how shifting the focus from individuals to systems can better address dis/ability, accessibility, and inclusion. By examining the systemic barriers that marginalize communities, particularly within cognitive neuroscience, this discussion highlights the need for structural change. Participants will gain insights into rethinking inclusion efforts to foster true equity.

4:15 - 5:30 PM Concurrent Symposium

Title: Cross-Species Approaches to Understanding Adolescent Learning
Presenters: Catherine Insel (Chair, Presenter, Moderator), Juliet Davidow, Laura DeNardo, Linda Wilbrecht
Description: Explore how adolescent learning evolves across species in this comprehensive symposium, highlighting both human and animal studies. Presentations will cover how brain development influences learning and goal-directed behavior, with insights into reinforcement learning, threat learning, and rule learning, followed by a discussion on integrating these findings across species for a deeper understanding of adolescence.

Title: Characterizing Cortical Brain Development in an African Context: Meeting Challenges & Examining Contextually Relevant Environmental Variability
Presenters: Dima Amso (Chair, Moderator), Nwabisa Mlandu, Tess Allegra Forest,Guilherme Fahur Bottino
Description: Discover how early brain development unfolds in an African context with insights from the Khula study, which examines the impact of environmental factors on infants' cognitive and social growth. This symposium will explore challenges in EEG data collection, the effects of caregiver predictability, and the role of gut microbiome variability in shaping functional brain development in South African infants.

5:30 - 7:00 PM Poster Presentation Session, Sponsored by: Liber Institute for Brain Development

7:00 - 8:00 PM Communications Committee Meeting + 

⁺By invite only

8:00 AM - 4:00 PM Registration, Exhibitors, & Congress Information Desk Open

8:45 - 9:15 AM Scientific Program Committee & Local Organizing Committee Breakfast⁺

9:30 - 10:15 AM Flash Talks 

10:30 - 11:45 AM Concurrent Symposium

Title: Developmental Changes in Cortical Excitation-Inhibition Balance through Adolescence and Functional Implications for Cognition
Presenters: Andrew Westbrook, PhD (Chair, Presenter), Finnegan Calabro (Moderator), Adriana Caballero, PhD, Bart Larsen, PhD, Ashley Parr
Description: Join us to explore how changes in cortical excitation-inhibition balance during adolescence impact cognitive development and neural dynamics. This symposium will present cutting-edge research using both human and animal models to investigate the triggers, role of neuromodulators, and functional implications of these developmental shifts, highlighting new methodologies and interdisciplinary insights.

Title: Development of Connectivity from Infancy through Childhood: Typical Trajectories and Risk-Related Alterations
Presenters: Wei Goa, Zeynep Saygin, Jessica Cohen, Jerod Rasmussen, Yana Fandakova (Chair)
Description: Explore how early brain connectivity develops from infancy through childhood in this informative workshop, focusing on typical growth trajectories and risk-related alterations. We will review how factors like prenatal drug exposure and maternal depression impact functional network development and discuss strategies to optimize interventions and improve developmental outcomes.

11:45 AM - 1:15 PM Lunch on Your Own

11:45 AM - 1:15 PM DCN Journal Editor Meeting⁺

1:15 - 2:45 PM Poster Presentation Session

2:45 - 4:00 PM Concurrent Symposium

Title: Precision Brain Mapping for Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience
Presenters: Arielle Keller, MS, PhD (Chair, Presenter), Damien Fair (Moderator), Deanna Greene, PhD, Julia Moser, Charles Lynch, PhD
Description: Dive into the future of neuroimaging with our symposium on precision brain mapping, which challenges the traditional “one-size-fits-all” approach by highlighting how individual variations in brain structure and function impact developmental cognitive research. Explore how new techniques can create personalized brain maps, improving our understanding of cognitive development across infancy, childhood, and adolescence.

Title: Innovations in Toddler Functional MRI
Presenters: Halie Olson (Chair, Moderator, Presenter), Catherine Lebel, Annika Linke, Tomoki Arichi
Description: Discover the latest advancements in toddler fMRI at our symposium, which addresses the challenges and innovations in studying brain function during this critical developmental period. Featuring pioneering methods and age-appropriate paradigms, this workshop will showcase how cutting-edge fMRI techniques can enhance our understanding of cognitive and sensory development in toddlers, with implications for early diagnosis and clinical practice.

4:00 - 4:30 PM Closing Ceremonies

⁺By invite only

Program Chair: Margaret Sheridan

Local Hosts: Brad Schlagger & Chandan Vaidya 

2024 Program Committee Members:

Tallie Z. Baram

Marjolein Barendse

Yana Fandakova

Wei Gao

Arianna Gard

Jamie Hanson

Tzipi Horowitz-Kraus

Andrew Lynn

Christopher Monk

Stewart Motofsky

Assaf Oshri

Giorgia Picci

Rachel Romeo

Maya Rosen

Sara Sanchez-Alonso

Sarah Short

Suzanne van de Groep

Co-Chair: Bradley Schlaggar (Co-Chair), Kennedy Krieger Institute, Baltimore, MD

Co-Chair: Chandan Vaidya (Co-Chair), Georgetown University, Washington, DC

2024 Local Organizing Committee Members:

Guinevere Eden, Georgetown University, Washington, DC

Nathan Fox, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

William Gaillard, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC

Tracy Riggins, University of Maryland, College Park, MD

Gabriela Rosenblau, The George Washington University, Washington, DC

Karl Steiner, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD

Catherine Stoodley, Children’s National Hospital, Washington, DC

Heather Volk, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Daniel Weinberger, Lieber Institute for Brain Development, Baltimore, MD