Teaching Executive Skills

Applying Brain Science to Boost Memory, Attention, and Emotion Regulation for Learning

April 16 - 18, 2026

Sheraton NY Times Square Hotel or Virtually via Zoom

Pre-Conference Workshops Accommodations

Credits Registration

Program

Conference registration is open now for the annual Spring Learning & the Brain conference in New York City held at the Sheraton NY Times Square April 16 - 18, 2026.

This conference will be run as a hybrid conference. Whether you attend in-person or remotely, recordings will be available for 45 days after the conference.

Teaching Executive Skills

IMPROVING EXECUTIVE SKILLS FOR SCHOOL SUCCESS

Students’ executive function skills have declined since the pandemic. Researchers, including MIT Cognitive Neuroscientist Nancy Tsai in her 2024 Working Paper, have found that student executive functioning has worsened across all grades and demographics due to the pandemic slump, especially in memory and “flexible thinking” skills. Yet, research shows these cognitive abilities are the master keys to success—predicting everything from kindergarten readiness and academic performance to better adult health and higher socioeconomic status.

This important interdisciplinary conference will decode the science of the brain's “Traffic Control Center”, exploring the crucial interconnecting links between cognitive control, emotions, memory, attention, ADHD, and achievement. Discover breakthrough interventions and evidence-based strategies—leveraging neuroscience, exercise, games, play, AI, and Apps—to powerfully boost student sustained attention, emotion regulation, cognitive control, and flexible thinking. Learn how to develop executive skills and create thinking, self-regulated writers and readers in the classroom.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

You will gain knowledge about:

Using brain science to maximize memory and attention

Ways experience, exercise, and play shape executive skills

Strategies to support executive function in PreK-12 classrooms

How the brain organizes and completes tasks and reaches goals

Training the brain to improve EF skills with games, AI, VR, and Apps

Teens, technology, healthy emotional development, and self-regulation

Ways to declutter brains and boost focus despite stress and distractions

Strategies to manage cognitive load and empower emotion regulation

Promoting flexible thinking and adapting to struggle and challenges

The Science of Reading and developing self-regulated writers

WHO SHOULD ATTEND

Educators, Parents

Curriculum, Staff Developers

Speech-Language Pathologists

PreK-12 Teachers, Administrators

Psychologists, School Psychologists

Learning Specialists, Special Educators

Early Childhood Educators, Professionals

Behavior, ADHD, Anxiety Counselors/Staff

Reading, Writing, Technology Teachers

Superintendents, Principals, School Heads

College, University Professors

Featured Speakers

What the Science of Learning Is Not Telling You: How to Make a Memory and Get It Out

David B. Daniel, PhD, Conference Chair

David B. Daniel, PhD, Conference Chair

Professor Emeritus of Psychology, James Madison University; Former Executive Director and Founding Board Member, International Mind, Brain, and Education Society; Former Managing Editor, Mind, Brain, and Education Journal; Recognized in the “Top 1% of Educational Researchers Influencing Public Debate” in the US; Co-Author, “Toward an Ecological Science of Teaching” (2021, Canadian Psychology), “Seeing Self and Others On-Screen Does Not Negatively Impact Learning in Virtual Classrooms” (2021, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology), and “E-Textbooks at What Cost? Performance and Use of Electronic v. Print Texts” (2013, Computers and Education)

Executive Function: How Your Brain Gets Things Done

David T. Badre, PhD

David T. Badre, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences', Brown University; Affiliate, Carney Institute for Brain Science; Member of the Editorial Boards for Psychological Science, Cognitive Science, Behavioral Neuroscience, and eLife; Recipient of several awards, including an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship in Neuroscience, the James S. McDonnell Scholar Award in Understanding Human Cognition, and the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Young Investigator Award; Author, On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done (2022); Co-Author, “The Value of Proactive Goal Setting and Choice in 3-To 7-Year-Olds' Use Of Working Memory Gating Strategies in a Naturalistic Task” (2021, Developmental Science) and “Neural Systems Underlying the Learning of Cognitive Effort Costs” (2021, Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience)

Advances in Understanding How Experience Shapes Executive Function Skills

Sabine Doebel, PhD

Sabine Doebel, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George Mason University; Author, “Rethinking Executive Function Development” (2020, Perspectives on Psychological Science)

Teen Emotions and Executive, Default Networks

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD

Director, USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE); Professor of Education, USC Rossier School of Education; Professor of Psychology, Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California; Author, Emotions, Learning, and the Brain: Exploring the Educational Implications of Affective Neuroscience (2015); Co-Author, “Nurturing Nature: How Brain Development Is Inherently Social and Emotional, and What This Means for Education” (2025, Social and Emotional Learning), “Growing the Adolescent Mind: Thinking That Ranges From the Here and Now to the Far Away and Beyond May Build Brains and Enhance Life” (2025, Scientific American), and “Default and Executive Networks’ Roles in Diverse Adolescents’ Emotionally Engaged Construal’s of Complex Social Issues” (2022, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience)

The Science of Emotion Regulation

Ethan F. Kross, PhD

Ethan F. Kross, PhD

Neuroscientist; Director, Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory; Professor, Department of Psychology and Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Faculty Affiliate, University of Michigan's Center for Culture, Mind, and Brain; Author, Shift: Managing Your Emotions--So They Don't Manage You (2024), Chatter: The Workbook (Forthcoming), and Chatter: The Voices in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It (2021); Co-Author, "Managing Emotions in Everyday Life: Why a Toolbox of Strategies Matters" (2025, Emotion), "Harnessing Placebo Effects to Regulate Emotions" (2024, Handbook of Emotion Regulation), and "Smarter, Not Harder: A Toolbox Approach to Enhancing Self-Control" (2020, Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences)

Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning

Natalie L. Wexler, JD

Natalie L. Wexler, JD

Education Writer; Senior Contributor, Forbes.com; Author, Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning (2025), "Why So Many Kids Struggle to Learn: Teachers Continue to be Trained in Ways That Ignore the Findings of Cognitive Science" (2021, The American Scholar), “Building Knowledge: What an Elementary Curriculum Should Do” (2020, American Educator), The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—And How to Fix It (2019); Co-Author, The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (2017)

Rise Above: Empowering Your Mind, Your Emotions, and Your Life

Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD

Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD

Cognitive and Humanistic Psychologist; Founder and Director, Center for Human Potential; Professor, Columbia University; Honorary Principal Fellow, Center for Wellbeing Science, University of Melbourne; Former Scientific Director, The Imagination Institute, University of Pennsylvania; Host of the #1 Psychology Podcast, The Psychology Podcast, with over 30 million downloads; Columnist, “Beautiful Minds,” Scientific American; Author, Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential (2025), Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization (2020), Twice Exceptional (2018), and Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined (2015); Co-Author, Learned Helplessness (2020), Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt (2022), Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (2016), and “Imagination Is the Seed of Creativity” (2018, The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity)

Executive Brains: Connecting Anxiety, ADHD, and Emotion Regulation

Tracey I. Marks, MD

Tracey I. Marks, MD

Licensed Psychiatrist; Owner, Marks Psychiatry And Forensic Services; Member, American Academy Of Psychiatry And The Law, American Psychiatric Association; Author, Why Am I So Anxious? Powerful Tools for Recognizing Anxiety and Restoring Your Peace (2022), Bipolar Basics: Unpacking the Nuances and Understanding Solutions (2021), and Master Your Sleep – Proven Methods Simplified (2011); Co-Author, "Legal, Ethical and Clinical Implications of Prescribing Involuntary, Life-Threatening Treatment: The Case of the Sunshine Kid" (2003, Journal of Forensic Sciences)

The Astonishing Effects of Exercise for Your Brain

Wendy A. Suzuki, PhD

Wendy A. Suzuki, PhD

Dean, College of Arts and Science; Award-Winning Professor of Neural Science and Psychology, Center for Neuroscience, New York University; Popular TEDTalk presenter with over 65 million views; Recently named "One of the Top 10 Women Changing the Way We See the World" by Good Housekeeping; Author of the Internationally best-selling book, Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion (2021), and Anxiety Is Your Superpower (2020); Co-Author, "Adapting a Neuroscience High School Curriculum to Support Inclusive Online Learning" (2023, Toward Inclusive Learning Design: Social Justice, Equity, and Community), "Exercise to Enhance Mental Health" (2022, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience), and Happy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better (2016)

Decluttering Our Students' Minds in an Age of Stress, Distractions, and Change

Deborah Gilboa, MD (aka "Dr. G")

Deborah Gilboa, MD (aka "Dr. G")

Family Medicine Attending Physician, Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill Health Center; Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Founder of AskDoctorG.com; Resilience, Change, and Youth Development Expert; National Advisory Board, United States AntiDoping Agency; Board of Directors, Cybersmile Foundation; Author, From Stressed to Resilient: The Guide to Handle More and Feel It Less (2022), Get the Behavior You Want... Without Being the Parent You Hate! (2014), Teach Responsibility: Empower Kids With Great Work Ethic (2013), Teach Respect: That's My Kid (2013), and Teaching Resilience: Raising Kids Who Can Launch (2012)

Everyday Genius: Boost Your Memory, Focus, and Problem Solving

Nelson C. Dellis, BS

Nelson C. Dellis, BS

Founder and CEO, Climb For Memory; Six Time USA Memory Champion; Alzheimer's Disease Activist; American Memory Athlete and Consultant; Co-Founder, Memory League; Author, Everyday Genius: Hacks to Boost Your Memory, Focus, Problem-Solving, and Much More (Forthcoming), Memory Superpowers!: An Adventurous Guide to Remembering What You Don't Want to Forget (2020), and Remember It!: The Names of People You Meet, All of Your Passwords, Where You Left Your Keys, and Everything Else You Tend to Forget (2018)

1) EXECUTIVE BRAINS: LINKING COGNITIVE CONTROL, EMOTION, & EXPERIENCE

Advances in Understanding How Experience Shapes Executive Function Skills

Sabine Doebel, PhD

Sabine Doebel, PhD

Assistant Professor of Psychology, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George Mason University; Author, “Rethinking Executive Function Development” (2020, Perspectives on Psychological Science)

Executive Function: How Your Brain Gets Things Done

David T. Badre, PhD

David T. Badre, PhD

Associate Professor, Department of Cognitive, Linguistic, and Psychological Sciences', Brown University; Affiliate, Carney Institute for Brain Science; Member of the Editorial Boards for Psychological Science, Cognitive Science, Behavioral Neuroscience, and eLife; Recipient of several awards, including an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship in Neuroscience, the James S. McDonnell Scholar Award in Understanding Human Cognition, and the Cognitive Neuroscience Society Young Investigator Award; Author, On Task: How Our Brain Gets Things Done (2022); Co-Author, “The Value of Proactive Goal Setting and Choice in 3-To 7-Year-Olds' Use Of Working Memory Gating Strategies in a Naturalistic Task” (2021, Developmental Science) and “Neural Systems Underlying the Learning of Cognitive Effort Costs” (2021, Cognitive, Affective, & Behavioral Neuroscience)

Teen Emotions and Executive, Default Networks

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD

Mary Helen Immordino-Yang, EdD

Director, USC Center for Affective Neuroscience, Development, Learning, and Education (CANDLE); Professor of Education, USC Rossier School of Education; Professor of Psychology, Brain and Creativity Institute, University of Southern California; Author, Emotions, Learning, and the Brain: Exploring the Educational Implications of Affective Neuroscience (2015); Co-Author, “Nurturing Nature: How Brain Development Is Inherently Social and Emotional, and What This Means for Education” (2025, Social and Emotional Learning), “Growing the Adolescent Mind: Thinking That Ranges From the Here and Now to the Far Away and Beyond May Build Brains and Enhance Life” (2025, Scientific American), and “Default and Executive Networks’ Roles in Diverse Adolescents’ Emotionally Engaged Construal’s of Complex Social Issues” (2022, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience)

What Should Teachers Learn From the Research on Executive Functions?

Dirk M.S. Van Damm, PhD

Dirk M.S. Van Damm, PhD

International Educational Consultant; Senior Research Fellow, Center for Curriculum Redesign; President, DVD Educonsult; Former Head of the Centre for Educational Research and Innovation and Head of the Skills Centre, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD); Expert in the Science of Learning and Executive Function; Co-Author, “Executive Functions: Conceptual Framework and Relevance for Education” (2025, CCR) and Educational Research and Innovation Open Educational Resources (2015); Co-Editor, “Developing Minds in the Digital Age: Towards A Science of Learning for 21st Century Education” (2019, OECD)

Supporting Executive Function in the Classroom

Allison S. Posey, MEd

Allison S. Posey, MEd

Learning Design and Research Specialist, Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST), who provides curricular design, online course instruction, and leads professional development training and implementation of Universal Design for Learning in K-12 and higher education settings; Coordinator, CAST free webinar series; Former Science Teacher; Former Teaching Fellow, Mind, Brain, and Education Program, Harvard Graduate School of Education; Author, Engage the Brain: How to Design for Learning that Taps into the Power of Emotions (2018) and “How to Support the Emotional Link to Learning” (2018, ASCD Express); Co-Author, Unlearning: Change Your Beliefs and Your Classroom With UDL (2020)

Executive Functions for Every Classroom (Grades K-3)

Sarah Oberle, EdD

Sarah Oberle, EdD

Teacher, Red Clay Consolidated School District; Advisory Board Member, Digital Promise: Learner Variability Navigator; Committee Member, Professional Development and Associated Compensation, Delaware Department of Education; Co-Authors, Executive Functions for Every K-3 Classroom (Forthcoming)

Executive Functions for Every Classroom (Grades 3-12)

Mitch Weathers, BA

Mitch Weathers, BA

High School Teacher; CEO and President, Organized Binder; Former Adjunct Professor, Dominican University of California; Advisor, TeachBoost; Advisor, The Odyssey Initiative; Author, Executive Functions for Every Classroom, Grades 3-12 (2024)

Executive Function as a Developmental Path - What It Means and Why It Matters

Mark Bertin, MD

Mark Bertin, MD

Developmental Pediatrician; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical Public Health, New York Medical College; Faculty Member, Windward Teacher Training Institute; Board Member of APSARD (the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders); Contributor, Psychology Today; Editorial Board, Additude Magazine, Common Sense Media, and Reach Out and Read; Medical and Educational Consultant; Author, How Children Thrive: The Practical Science of Raising Independent, Resilient, and Happy Kids (2018), Mindful Parenting for ADHD (2015), and The Family ADHD Solution (2011); Co-Author, Mindfulness and Self-Compassion for Teen With ADHD (2021)

Executive Functions for Every Learner: Building Inclusive, School-Wide Support for Every Teacher and Every Student

Glenn Whitman, MALS

Glenn Whitman, MALS

History Teacher; Executive Director, Center for Transformative Teaching and Learning; Co-Designer, NeuroTeach Global and Neuroteach Global Student; Dean of Studies, St. Andrew’s Episcopal School; Co-Author, "Every Educator Needs to Know How the Brain Works" (2020, ASCD Express) and Neuroteach: Brain Science and the Future of Education (2016); Co-Editor, Think Differently and Deeply; who has played and coached soccer, ice hockey, and golf at high school, club and collegiate levels and worked alongside USA National Women’s Soccer Team members at the Julie Foudy Sports Leadership Academy

Kristin Simmers, MS, MEd

Kristin Simmers, MS, MEd

Director of Cognition and Learning at the Forman School; PhD Candidate in Learning Sciences at the University of Connecticut; Teacher with 20 years of experience from Kindergarten to Graduate School, who works with educators around the world, bridging research and practice.

2) REGULATED BRAINS: EMPOWERING EMOTION REGULATION FOR LEARNING

The Science of Emotion Regulation

Ethan F. Kross, PhD

Ethan F. Kross, PhD

Neuroscientist; Director, Emotion and Self-Control Laboratory; Professor, Department of Psychology and Ross School of Business, University of Michigan; Faculty Affiliate, University of Michigan's Center for Culture, Mind, and Brain; Author, Shift: Managing Your Emotions--So They Don't Manage You (2024), Chatter: The Workbook (Forthcoming), and Chatter: The Voices in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It (2021); Co-Author, "Managing Emotions in Everyday Life: Why a Toolbox of Strategies Matters" (2025, Emotion), "Harnessing Placebo Effects to Regulate Emotions" (2024, Handbook of Emotion Regulation), and "Smarter, Not Harder: A Toolbox Approach to Enhancing Self-Control" (2020, Policy Insights from the Behavioral and Brain Sciences)

Executive Brains: Connecting Anxiety, ADHD, and Emotion Regulation

Tracey I. Marks, MD

Tracey I. Marks, MD

Licensed Psychiatrist; Owner, Marks Psychiatry And Forensic Services; Member, American Academy Of Psychiatry And The Law, American Psychiatric Association; Author, Why Am I So Anxious? Powerful Tools for Recognizing Anxiety and Restoring Your Peace (2022), Bipolar Basics: Unpacking the Nuances and Understanding Solutions (2021), and Master Your Sleep – Proven Methods Simplified (2011); Co-Author, "Legal, Ethical and Clinical Implications of Prescribing Involuntary, Life-Threatening Treatment: The Case of the Sunshine Kid" (2003, Journal of Forensic Sciences)

Rise Above: Empowering Your Mind, Your Emotions, and Your Life

Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD

Scott Barry Kaufman, PhD

Cognitive and Humanistic Psychologist; Founder and Director, Center for Human Potential; Professor, Columbia University; Honorary Principal Fellow, Center for Wellbeing Science, University of Melbourne; Former Scientific Director, The Imagination Institute, University of Pennsylvania; Host of the #1 Psychology Podcast, The Psychology Podcast, with over 30 million downloads; Columnist, “Beautiful Minds,” Scientific American; Author, Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential (2025), Transcend: The New Science of Self-Actualization (2020), Twice Exceptional (2018), and Ungifted: Intelligence Redefined (2015); Co-Author, Learned Helplessness (2020), Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt (2022), Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind (2016), and “Imagination Is the Seed of Creativity” (2018, The Cambridge Handbook of Creativity)

Influence of Digital Technology on Youth Emotion Regulation - Promoting Healthy Development in a World of Digital Disruption

Tracy A. Dennis-Tiwary, PhD

Tracy A. Dennis-Tiwary, PhD

Director, Emotion Regulation Lab; Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Hunter College, City University of New York; Consultant, NYC Department of Education; Advisor to the digital wellness organization, National Day of Unplugging; Author, Future Tense: Why Anxiety Is Good for You (Even Though It Feels Bad) (2022); Co-Author, “Living in a Digital World: Understanding the Development of Adolescent Emotional Adjustment in the Context of Digital Technologies” (2024, American Psychological Association), “Neural Signatures of Child Cognitive Emotion Regulation Are Bolstered by Parental Social Regulation in Two Cultures” (2019, Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience), and “Stress and Emotion Regulation” (2019, The Oxford Handbook of Stress and Mental Health)

ADHD and Building Emotion Regulation Skills in Children

Mark Bertin, MD

Mark Bertin, MD

Developmental Pediatrician; Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Clinical Public Health, New York Medical College; Faculty Member, Windward Teacher Training Institute; Board Member of APSARD (the American Professional Society of ADHD and Related Disorders); Contributor, Psychology Today; Editorial Board, Additude Magazine, Common Sense Media, and Reach Out and Read; Medical and Educational Consultant; Author, How Children Thrive: The Practical Science of Raising Independent, Resilient, and Happy Kids (2018), Mindful Parenting for ADHD (2015), and The Family ADHD Solution (2011); Co-Author, Mindfulness and Self-Compassion for Teen With ADHD (2021)

Anxiety and Executive Dysfunction in Teens with ADHD

Roberto Olivardia, PhD

Roberto Olivardia, PhD

Licensed Psychologist; Lecturer on Psychology, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School; Clinical Associate in Psychology, McLean Hospital, who specializes in the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), executive functioning issues, and learning differences; Member of Decoding Dyslexia – Massachusetts; the International OCD Foundation, International Dyslexia Association, Multi-Service Eating Disorders Association, and the American Association of Suicidology; Author, “Am I Depressed? Symptoms of Depression and ADHD, Untangled” (2025, Additude); Co-Author, The Adonis Complex (2000)

Self-Regulation of Learning

Daniel T. Willingham, PhD

Daniel T. Willingham, PhD

Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia; Writer, “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” Column, American Educator; Author, Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy (2023), Why Don’t Students Like School? (2021, 2nd Edition), "Harnessing Curiosity: Curate What You Can't Control" (2021, GettingSmart), and "Make Students More Curious" (2014, Knowledge Quest)

Practical Strategies for Building Emotional Regulation and Resilience in Youth

Caren Baruch-Feldman, PhD

Caren Baruch-Feldman, PhD

Clinical Psychologist; School Psychologist; Fellow and Supervisor in Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy, a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy; Author, The Happiness Workbook for Kids (Forthcoming), The Resilience Workbook for Kids: Fun CBT Activities to Help You Bounce Back From Stress and Grow From Challenges (2022) and The Grit Guide for Teens: A Workbook to Help You Build Perseverance, Self-Control, and a Growth Mindset (2017)

3) TRAINING BRAINS: STRENGTHENING EF SKILLS WITH EXERCISE, AI, & APPS

The Astonishing Effects of Exercise for Your Brain

Wendy A. Suzuki, PhD

Wendy A. Suzuki, PhD

Dean, College of Arts and Science; Award-Winning Professor of Neural Science and Psychology, Center for Neuroscience, New York University; Popular TEDTalk presenter with over 65 million views; Recently named "One of the Top 10 Women Changing the Way We See the World" by Good Housekeeping; Author of the Internationally best-selling book, Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion (2021), and Anxiety Is Your Superpower (2020); Co-Author, "Adapting a Neuroscience High School Curriculum to Support Inclusive Online Learning" (2023, Toward Inclusive Learning Design: Social Justice, Equity, and Community), "Exercise to Enhance Mental Health" (2022, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience), and Happy Brain, Happy Life: A Personal Program to Activate Your Brain and Do Everything Better (2016)

The Future of Learning: Using Research-Based Games and VR to Improve Executive Skills and Behavioral Control

Jan L. Plass, PhD

Jan L. Plass, PhD

Director, CREATE Lab; Co-Director, Games for Learning Institute; Professor, Educational Communication and Technology, Paulette Goddard Chair in Digital Media and Learning Sciences, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University; Co-Author, “The Future of Personalized Learning With AI” (2025, Learning and Individual Differences), Rethinking Cognitive Load Theory (2025), and “Individualization in Cognitive Skills Training: Essential or Superfluous? Examining the Effectiveness of An Adaptive Game for Training Executive Functions in Young Adults” (2024, Learning and Individual Differences)

Executive Function + Embodied Cognition: A Wholistic Approach for Enhancing Memory and Learning

Mariale M. Hardiman, EdD

Mariale M. Hardiman, EdD

Co-Founder and Director, Neuro-Education Initiative; Professor, School of Education, Johns Hopkins University; Author, Brain-Targeted Teaching: A Framework for Joyful Teaching and Leading (2025), Connecting Brain Research With Effective Teaching: The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model (2003), “The Arts, Creativity, and Learning: From Research to Practice” (2019, Mobile Brain-Body Imaging and the Neuroscience of Art, Innovation and Creativity), and “The Effects of Arts-Integrated Instruction on Memory for Science Content” (2019, Trends in Neuroscience and Education)

Training the Brain: Can Cognitive Training, Apps, and Games Improve Focus, Working Memory, and Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents?

Suzanne M. Jaeggi, PhD

Suzanne M. Jaeggi, PhD

Co-Director, Brain Game Center for Mental Fitness and Well-Being, Center for Cognitive and Brain Health; Professor, College of Science, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, College of Arts, Media, and Design, Northeastern University; Professor and Fellow, Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine; Co-Author, “Cognitive Interventions Targeting Executive Functions: How Do They Impact Prefrontal Circuits?” (2024, The Frontal Cortex: Organization, Networks, and Function), “The Relation Between Effortful Control and Executive Function Training in Preschoolers” (2024, Experimental Child Psychology), “Action Video Game Play Facilitates ‘Learning to Learn’” (2021, Communication Biology), and “Video Gaming and Working Memory” (2019, Computers in Human Behavior)

Harnessing AI for Enhanced Learning, and Thinking Skills

Stephen M. Kosslyn, PhD

Stephen M. Kosslyn, PhD

Co-Founder, Zal.ai; Founding Dean Emeritus, Minerva University; Founder and President, Active Learning Sciences; Author, Learning to Flourish in the Age of AI (2024), Active Learning With AI (2023), and Active Learning Online(2020); Co-Author, “Dynamic Personalized Learning: Leveraging AI to Develop Human Potential” (2025, Learning: Research and Practice) and “The Science of Learning: Mechanisms and Principles” (2017, Building The Intentional University: Minerva and The Future of Higher Education)

4) FOCUSED BRAINS: SUSTAINING ATTENTION DISPITE DISTRACTIONS & STRESS

Decluttering Our Students' Minds in an Age of Stress, Distractions, and Change

Deborah Gilboa, MD (aka "Dr. G")

Deborah Gilboa, MD (aka "Dr. G")

Family Medicine Attending Physician, Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill Health Center; Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Family Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; Founder of AskDoctorG.com; Resilience, Change, and Youth Development Expert; National Advisory Board, United States AntiDoping Agency; Board of Directors, Cybersmile Foundation; Author, From Stressed to Resilient: The Guide to Handle More and Feel It Less (2022), Get the Behavior You Want... Without Being the Parent You Hate! (2014), Teach Responsibility: Empower Kids With Great Work Ethic (2013), Teach Respect: That's My Kid (2013), and Teaching Resilience: Raising Kids Who Can Launch (2012)

Focused Minds: Connecting Attention, Long-Term Memory, and Emotion

Monica D. Rosenberg, PhD

Monica D. Rosenberg, PhD

Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Chicago; Principal Investigator, Cognition, Attention, and Brain Lab; Member of the Neuroscience Institute, Committee on Computational Neuroscience, Committee on Neurobiology and Institute for Mind and Biology; Author, “A Temporal Hierarchy of Sustained Attention Dynamics” (2025, Current Directions in Psychological Science); Co-Author, “Sustained Attentional State Is a Floodlight, Not A Spotlight” (2025, Experimental Psychology: General) and “High Performers Demonstrate Greater Neural Synchrony Than Low Performers Across Behavioral Domains” (2024, Imaging Neuroscience)

Do I Have Your Attention?: Strategies to Improve Attention and Memory in Any Classroom

Grace Dearborn, MA

Grace Dearborn, MA

Executive Director, Conscious Teaching, LLC; Education Consultant; Instructional Coach; Award-Winning Teacher; Professional Development Coordinator; Served in schools as a Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment Coordinator, Literacy Coach, Curriculum Specialist, and Mentor Teacher; Co-Author, Yeah, But What About This Kid? Tier 3 Behavior Interventions That Work (2019) and Conscious Classroom Management: Unlocking the Secrets of Great Teaching (2016, 2nd Edition), and Picture This: Visuals and Rubrics to Teach Procedures, Save Your Voice, and Love Your Students (2011)

Helping Students Pay Attention

Daniel T. Willingham, PhD

Daniel T. Willingham, PhD

Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Virginia; Writer, “Ask the Cognitive Scientist” Column, American Educator; Author, Outsmart Your Brain: Why Learning Is Hard and How You Can Make It Easy (2023), Why Don’t Students Like School? (2021, 2nd Edition), "Harnessing Curiosity: Curate What You Can't Control" (2021, GettingSmart), and "Make Students More Curious" (2014, Knowledge Quest)

5) FORGETFUL BRAINS: BOOSTING MEMORY THROUGH TRAINING & EMOTIONS

Everyday Genius: Boost Your Memory, Focus, and Problem Solving

Nelson C. Dellis, BS

Nelson C. Dellis, BS

Founder and CEO, Climb For Memory; Six Time USA Memory Champion; Alzheimer's Disease Activist; American Memory Athlete and Consultant; Co-Founder, Memory League; Author, Everyday Genius: Hacks to Boost Your Memory, Focus, Problem-Solving, and Much More (Forthcoming), Memory Superpowers!: An Adventurous Guide to Remembering What You Don't Want to Forget (2020), and Remember It!: The Names of People You Meet, All of Your Passwords, Where You Left Your Keys, and Everything Else You Tend to Forget (2018)

What the Science of Learning Is Not Telling You: How to Make a Memory and Get It Out

David B. Daniel, PhD, Conference Chair

David B. Daniel, PhD, Conference Chair

Professor Emeritus of Psychology, James Madison University; Former Executive Director and Founding Board Member, International Mind, Brain, and Education Society; Former Managing Editor, Mind, Brain, and Education Journal; Recognized in the “Top 1% of Educational Researchers Influencing Public Debate” in the US; Co-Author, “Toward an Ecological Science of Teaching” (2021, Canadian Psychology), “Seeing Self and Others On-Screen Does Not Negatively Impact Learning in Virtual Classrooms” (2021, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology), and “E-Textbooks at What Cost? Performance and Use of Electronic v. Print Texts” (2013, Computers and Education)

Improving Memory: Benefits of Emotions, Novelty, and Reward Motivation

Lila Davachi, PhD

Lila Davachi, PhD

Professor of Psychology; Director, Davachi Memory Lab, Columbia University; Co-Principal Investigator of the “Optimizing Memory Using Neural Information” Project; Recognized with the prestigious “Young Investigator” Award from the Cognitive Neuroscience Society in 2009; Co-Author, “The Impact of Mnemonic Prediction Errors on Episodic Memory: A Lifespan Study” (2025, Developmental Psychology), “Temporal Interactions Between Neural Proxies for Memory Recall, Negative Affect, and Emotion Regulation in Major Depression” (2025, Biological Psychiatry), “Weak and Strong Memories Are Equally Reactivated During Counterfactual Learning, but Only Weak Memories Are Modified” (2025, OSF)

The Science of Why We Forget and Remember: Connecting Memory, Emotions, and Training

Elizabeth Kensinger, PhD

Elizabeth Kensinger, PhD

Professor, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Boston College; Member, Rising Stars Committee, Association for Psychological Science; Nominations Committee, Psychonomic Society; Consulting Editor, Memory and Cognition; Co-Author, “Different Effects of Emotional Valence on Overt Attention and Recognition Memory” (2025, Cognition and Emotion), Emotional Memory (2024), Why We Forget and How to Remember Better: The Science Behind Memory (2023), and “The Power of Negative and Positive Episodic Memory” (2022, Cognitive, Affective, and Behavioral Neuroscience)

Supporting Students With Working Memory Challenges

Margaret (Peg) Dawson, EdD, NCSP

Margaret (Peg) Dawson, EdD, NCSP

School Psychologist; Former Co-Director, Center for Learning and Attention Disorders, Seacoast Mental Health Center; Past President of both the National Association of School Psychologists and the International School Psychology Association; Recipient of NASP’s “Lifetime Achievement” Award in 2006 and the International School Psychology Association's “Distinguished Services” Award in 2010; Co-Author, Smart but Scattered: The Revolutionary “Executive Skills” Approach to Helping Children Reach Their Potential (2024, 2nd Edition), Coaching Students With Executive Skill Challenges (2023), Executive Function Skills in the Classroom (2022), Smart but Scattered Teens (2012), and Executive Skills in Children and Adolescents: A Practical Guide to Assessment and Intervention (2003)

Scientific Approaches to Maximize Memory and Learning in the Classroom

Suzanne M. Jaeggi, PhD

Suzanne M. Jaeggi, PhD

Co-Director, Brain Game Center for Mental Fitness and Well-Being, Center for Cognitive and Brain Health; Professor, College of Science, Bouvé College of Health Sciences, College of Arts, Media, and Design, Northeastern University; Professor and Fellow, Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory, University of California, Irvine; Co-Author, “Cognitive Interventions Targeting Executive Functions: How Do They Impact Prefrontal Circuits?” (2024, The Frontal Cortex: Organization, Networks, and Function), “The Relation Between Effortful Control and Executive Function Training in Preschoolers” (2024, Experimental Child Psychology), “Action Video Game Play Facilitates ‘Learning to Learn’” (2021, Communication Biology), and “Video Gaming and Working Memory” (2019, Computers in Human Behavior)

The Science of Learning: How Memory Is Connected to Attention, Cognitive Load, and Struggle

John T. Almarode, PhD

John T. Almarode, PhD

Professor of Education, James Madison University; Co-Editor, Teacher Educator Journal; Co-Author, The Mathematics Playbook (2024), The Teacher Clarity Playbook, Grades K-12 (2024), The Early Childhood Education Playbook (2022), How Tutoring Works: Six Steps to Grow Motivation and Accelerate Student Learning (2021), How Learning Works (2021), Clarity for Learning (2018), From Snorkelers to Scuba Divers: Making the Elementary Science Classroom a Place of Engagement and Deep Learning (2017), Visible Learning for Science (2017), and Captivate, Activate, and Invigorate the Student Brain in Science and Math, Grades 6–12 (2013)

Consolidating Learning and Memory by Asking — and Answering — the Right Questions

Andrew C. Watson, MEd, MA

Andrew C. Watson, MEd, MA

Classroom Teacher; Founder/President of Translate the Brain, a professional development consultancy; Author, The Goldilocks Map: A Classroom Teacher’s Quest to Evaluate ‘Brain-Based’ Teaching Advice (2021), Learning Grows: The Science of Motivation for the Classroom Teacher (2019), and Learning Begins: A Teacher's Guide to the Learning Brain (2017); Blogger, Learning & the Brain Blog

6) THOUGHTFUL BRAINS: CONNECTING THINKING, READING, & REGULATING

Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning

Natalie L. Wexler, JD

Natalie L. Wexler, JD

Education Writer; Senior Contributor, Forbes.com; Author, Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning (2025), "Why So Many Kids Struggle to Learn: Teachers Continue to be Trained in Ways That Ignore the Findings of Cognitive Science" (2021, The American Scholar), “Building Knowledge: What an Elementary Curriculum Should Do” (2020, American Educator), The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—And How to Fix It (2019); Co-Author, The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (2017)

Executive Skills and Writing Instruction: Developing Self-Regulated, Thinking Writers

Leslie E. Laud, EdD

Leslie E. Laud, EdD

Consultant; Founding Director, thinkSRSD; Pre-Service Faculty Member, Evidence-Based Writing Instruction, Teachers College, Columbia University; Teacher, Self-Regulated Strategy Development for Writing, Bank Street College; Collaborator, WELL Team, Massachusetts General Hospital; Author, Executive Skills and Writing Instruction (2025); Co-Author, Releasing Readers: Evidence-Based Practices for Teaching Close Reading (2024), Releasing Writers: Evidence-Based Strategies for Developing Self-Regulated Writers (2020), and Using Formative Assessment to Differentiate Middle School Literacy Instruction (2012)

The Chicken and the Egg: Leveraging a Metacognitive Approach to Executive Function

Benjamin N. Powers, DBA

Benjamin N. Powers, DBA

Director, Global Literacy Hub, Child Study Center, Yale School of Medicine; Senior Scientist, Haskins Laboratories; Executive Director, The Southport School; Founder, The Southport CoLAB; Executive Director, The Dyslexia Foundation; Research Associate Professor, University of Connecticut; Technical Advisor, National Center on Improving Literacy; Honorary Board Member, Smart Kids with LD (SKLD); Author, “Students With Learning Differences Need Supports and Outspoken Champions” (2023, ADDitude) and “5 Steps To Help Students With Reading-Based Learning Differences” (2023, eSchool)

From Side Conversations to Strong Discussions: Simple Ways to Boost Thinking and Executive Functioning in the Classroom

Rebecca A. Branstetter, PhD

Rebecca A. Branstetter, PhD

Licensed School Psychologist; Founder, The Thriving Students Collective; Contributor, Greater Good Science Center, University of California, Berkeley; Former Clinical Psychologist, UCSF Autism Clinic, University of California San Francisco; Creator, “How to Teach Executive Functioning” course to support neurodiverse learners; Author, Small Habits Create Big Change (2024), The Thriving School Psychologist (2020), The Conscious Parent’s Guide to Executive Functioning Disorders (2016), The Conscious Parent’s Guide to ADHD (2015), and The Everything Parent’s Guide to Children With Executive Functioning Disorders (2013)

The Courage to Learn and Adapt to Challenges: Creating Risk-Ready Classrooms

Douglas B. Fisher, PhD

Douglas B. Fisher, PhD

Chair, Department of Educational Leadership, San Diego State University; Classroom Teacher, Health Sciences High and Middle College; Co-Author, Teaching Students to Use AI Ethically and Responsibly: Exploring AI With Intentionality, Curiosity, and Care (2025), The Artificial Intelligence Playbook: Time-Saving Tools for Teachers That Make Learning More Engaging (2025, 2nd Edition), Rigor Unveiled (2025), Teaching Students to Drive Their Learning (2023), The Vocabulary Playbook: Learning Words That Matter (2023), Teaching Reading (2022), Confronting the Crisis in Engagement (2022), and Improving Adolescent Literacy (2011)

Rethinking Cognitive Load Theory

Jan L. Plass, PhD

Jan L. Plass, PhD

Director, CREATE Lab; Co-Director, Games for Learning Institute; Professor, Educational Communication and Technology, Paulette Goddard Chair in Digital Media and Learning Sciences, Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development, New York University; Co-Author, “The Future of Personalized Learning With AI” (2025, Learning and Individual Differences), Rethinking Cognitive Load Theory (2025), and “Individualization in Cognitive Skills Training: Essential or Superfluous? Examining the Effectiveness of An Adaptive Game for Training Executive Functions in Young Adults” (2024, Learning and Individual Differences)

How Writing Instruction Can Revolutionize Education

Natalie L. Wexler, JD

Natalie L. Wexler, JD

Education Writer; Senior Contributor, Forbes.com; Author, Beyond the Science of Reading: Connecting Literacy Instruction to the Science of Learning (2025), "Why So Many Kids Struggle to Learn: Teachers Continue to be Trained in Ways That Ignore the Findings of Cognitive Science" (2021, The American Scholar), “Building Knowledge: What an Elementary Curriculum Should Do” (2020, American Educator), The Knowledge Gap: The Hidden Cause of America's Broken Education System—And How to Fix It (2019); Co-Author, The Writing Revolution: A Guide to Advancing Thinking Through Writing in All Subjects and Grades (2017)

Co-Sponsors Include:

Neuroscience and Education Program, Teachers College, Columbia University

Mindful Education Lab New York University

School Development Program, Yale University

The Neuro-Education Initiative, Johns Hopkins Graduate School of Education

National Association for Elementary School Principals (NAESP)

National Association for Secondary School Principals (NASSP)

LEARNING & the BRAIN® Foundation

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