Learning in the developing mind and brain: understanding memory systems and environmental influences

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The long-term goal of the proposed research is to understand how the slow, asynchronous but highly orchestrated development of neural systems limits and enables learning and memory. This question is fundamental to understanding the nature of learning during childhood and to knowing why there are age-related limits on learning (i.e., sensitive periods). Two short-term objects are proposed. Objective 1 is to characterize how the interplay between memory systems changes with cognitive and brain development, asking first if there are asynchronies in the development of classic memory systems and their component processes (gating information into and out of memory), and second if the interplay between systems changes with development. Objective 2 is to understand which patterns of cognitive and neural development are associated with the best outcomes in learning and memory and how this is shaped by the environment.