Sensitive Periods: A Flux Society Podcast

S4E3 Interview with Dr. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore, the 2025 Huttenlocher Award Winner

We are excited for a special episode this month, as guest host Dr. Arielle Keller (@ArielleKeller) interviews Dr. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore (@sjblakemore.bsky.social), the 2024 Flux Huttenlocher Award Winner. Dr. Sarah-Jayne Blakemore is a Professor of Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience at the University of Cambridge, and leader of the Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience Group. Her group's research focuses on the development of social cognition and decision making in the human adolescent brain, and adolescent mental health. Dr. Blakemore is incredibly deserving of this award and graciously provided her time to discuss her career development, research, advice to trainees, and much more. Many thanks as well to Dr. Keller for hosting this episode!  Full transcript can be found here: https://bit.ly/S4E3_Huttenlocher2025

S4E2 US Funding Cuts

In this episode, we take a closer look at the devastating impacts of federal funding cuts across the United States on developmental science and its trainees. We discuss how cuts are destabilizing training for early-career scientists and halting the vital research that they conduct. We further emphasize how scientists are organizing to fight back, and how we can take care of ourselves and each other along the way. For this crucial discussion, we are joined by Gabriel Leon, Shiba Esfand, and Dr. Scott Delaney — scientists who have each been impacted in different ways. Visit our Buzzsprout [https://sensitiveperiods.buzzsprout.com] for other episodes.  For a full transcript of this episode, visit: bit.ly/49aZxoU [https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Of7p3tAHOY5k2tRTwH8aMGUwgHAIRZ_3/view] Learn more about Grant Witness: https://grant-witness.us/ [https://grant-witness.us/] Connect with our guests: * Dr. Scott Delaney (@scott-delaney.bsky.social‬ [https://bsky.app/profile/scott-delaney.bsky.social], LinkedIn [https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.linkedin.com_in_scott-2Ddelaney&d=DwMFaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=DZjcezwojRzER8RMyMkiFQ-6OsfdTxwtWJ_58ptrsSs&m=83yNrQAdNvNurMsnNKL-nuKlDSkFtdI4lIBpFUVwy_pcLDJKSV3jMPV3u9zRPvc0&s=Lq9FJw8SO5jVrOZW8Od_VxlUush6zZrsk44B8gKuYn4&e=]) * Shiba Esfand (@shibaesfand.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/shibaesfand.bsky.social]‬, LinkedIn [https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.linkedin.com_in_shiba-2Desfand-2D20a68a203&d=DwMFaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=DZjcezwojRzER8RMyMkiFQ-6OsfdTxwtWJ_58ptrsSs&m=zJGjwg8rivAc8jxH3219pIStRUvg7HWSf00Uptdz_g5pJolCCiZWTjG91Nny8HuP&s=4CrZrpXL4jelPKVjXn8TTEvq40BVH7Yju-xuQQMFK5U&e=]) * Gabriel Leon (LinkedIn [https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.linkedin.com_in_gabriel-2Dle-25C3-25B3n-2Db88a31129_&d=DwMFaQ&c=WO-RGvefibhHBZq3fL85hQ&r=DZjcezwojRzER8RMyMkiFQ-6OsfdTxwtWJ_58ptrsSs&m=dKaQBecrWKs-qhOINA3yjhaB7IA7OiIiJMFEBqt7j2wvZOOChxWcyvIGoGGIuyAK&s=S2dbs9aO0TUM9YUUD7z7hmOvt1K6oJCH5KVSw6XxhdQ&e=], Website [https://gabrielleon.me/]) Connect with us on social media! We are always looking for ideas for episode topics, co-hosts, or guests. We're @FluxSociety on bsky [https://bsky.app/profile/fluxsociety.bsky.social], Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/FluxSociety/], and LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/fluxsociety/].

Fetal, Infant, and Toddler Neuroimaging with Drs. Tomoki Arichi and Courtney Filippi

In this episode, we chat about the exciting growth of fetal, infant, and toddler neuroimaging and their active group, FIT'NG. We're joined by two leaders in the field, Dr. Tomoki Arichi and Dr. Courtney Filippi, who explain to us the unique research questions and methodologies in FIT neuroimaging. Along the way, we discuss differences between neuroimaging in other developmental stages, environment vs. genetics, the impact of FIT'NG, and much more.  Reach out to our host: Matt Mattoni (matt.mattoni@temple.edu) Connect with us on social media! We are always looking for ideas for episode topics, co-hosts, or guests. @FluxSociety Key Resources: * https://fitng.org/

S3E5: Harmonization and Generalization in Big Data, with Dr. Golia Shafiei and Audrey Luo

In this episode, we chat about using multiple large scale neuroimaging datasets for developmental cognitive neuroscience research. We highlight two exciting recent projects, including the Reproducible Brain Charts database and a foundational study on white matter development. Along the way, we chat about harmonizing multiple datasets, testing in multiple datasets for generalizations, replicability, practical challenges, and more. Matt is joined by two wonderful guests from Dr. Ted Satterthwhaite's lab who are pioneering these momentous efforts - Dr. Golia Shafiei and Audrey Luo Reach out to our host: * Matt Mattoni (matt.mattoni@temple.edu) Connect with our guests: * Dr. Golia Shafiei: https://bsky.app/profile/goliashf.bsky.social * Audrey Luo: https://bsky.app/profile/audreycluo.bsky.social  Connect with us on social media! We are always looking for ideas for episode topics, co-hosts, or guests. @FluxSociety Key Resources: * Reproducible Brain Charts [https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.02.24.639850v1] * Two Axes of White Matter Development [https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.19.644049v1] * Reproducibilibuddy [https://www.thetransmitter.org/open-neuroscience-and-data-sharing/how-scuba-diving-helped-me-embrace-open-science/] * https://reprobrainchart.github.io/ [https://reprobrainchart.github.io/]

S3E4 Strength-based approaches in DCN with Drs. Divyangana Rakesh, Monica Ellwood-Lowe and Meriah DeJoseph

In this episode, we chat about strength-based approaches in developmental cognitive neuroscience and the importance of identifying and building upon individuals' strength rather than solely focusing on deficits/weaknesses. We explore how strength-based perspectives highlight individuals' resilience and adaptivity in the face of structural inequities, and the ways we can incorporate strength-based approaches in our work. Gavkhar is joined by wonderful guests who have done and are continuing to do impactful work in advancing strength-based research in our field -- Drs. Divyangana Rakesh, Monica Ellwood-Lowe, and Meriah DeJoseph. For a full transcript, visit: bit.ly/S3E4-strength-based-in-dcn [https://bit.ly/S3E4-strength-based-in-dcn] Connect with our guests: * Dr. Monica Ellwood-Lowe: @mellwoodlowe.bsky.social * Dr. Meriah DeJoseph: @meriahdejoseph.bsky.social  * Dr. Divyangana Rakesh: @divyangana.bsky.social Relevant resources and discussed papers: * Communicating and Expanding Research on Adversity Network  (https://cera-network.com/ [https://cera-network.com/])  * Monica E. Ellwood-Lowe, Gabriel Reyes, Meriah L. DeJoseph, Willem E. Frankenhuis; Caring for Children in Lower-SES Contexts: Recognizing Parents' Agency, Adaptivity & Resourcefulness. Daedalus 2025; 154 (1): 52–69. doi: https://doi.org/10.1162/daed_a_02123 [https://doi.org/10.1162/daed_a_02123] * DeJoseph, M. L., Ellwood-Lowe, M. E., Miller-Cotto, D., Silverman, D., Shannon, K. A., Reyes, G., Rakesh, D., & Frankenhuis, W. E. (2024). The promise and pitfalls of a strength-based approach to child poverty and neurocognitive development: Implications for policy. Developmental cognitive neuroscience, 66, 101375. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101375 [https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcn.2024.101375] * Rakesh, D., Sadikova, E., & McLaughlin, K. (2024). Beyond the income‐achievement gap: The role of individual, family, and environmental factors in cognitive resilience among low‐income youth. JCPP Advances, Article e12297. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1002/jcv2.12297 [https://www.psycnet.org/doi/10.1002/jcv2.12297] * Ellwood-Lowe, M. E., Whitfield-Gabrieli, S., & Bunge, S. A. (2021). Brain network coupling associated with cognitive performance varies as a function of a child's environment in the ABCD study. Nature communications, 12(1), 7183. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27336-y [https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-27336-y] * Banerjee, A. V., Bhattacharjee, S., Chattopadhyay, R., Duflo, E., Ganimian, A. J., Rajah, K., & Spelke, E. S. (2025). Children’s arithmetic skills do not transfer between applied and academic mathematics. Nature, 1-9. * Hoff, Karla and Pandey, Priyank, Belief Systems and Durable Inequalities: An Experimental Investigation of Indian Caste (June 25, 2004). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=610395 [https://ssrn.com/abstract=610395] * Taylor, E. K., Abdurokhmonova, G., & Romeo, R. R. (2023). Socioeconomic status and reading development: Moving from “deficit” to “adaptation” in neurobiological models of experience‐dependent learning. Mind, Brain, and Education, 17(4), 324–333. https://doi.org/10.1111/mbe.12351 [https://psycnet.apa.org/doi/10.1111/mbe.12351]  Reach out to your host, Gavkhar Abdurokhmonova (ga2541@umd.edu | @gavkhar-a.bsky.social). Connect with us on social media! We are always looking for ideas for episode topics, co-hosts, or guests.