Abstract: Various developmental disorders such as developmental dyslexia are diagnosed in early childhood but divergent trajectories of brain development may already be present in preschool, at birth or prenatally. Here I will present results from our three longitudinal studies which investigate whether observed functional and structural brain differences associated with developmental dyslexia are already present in infants and preschoolers, how they develop over time, and whether these functional and structural differences could be exploited to predict later reading outcome. We will further introduce a multiple deficit model that illustrates reading impairment as an outcome of multiple risks and protective factors interacting at genetic, neural, cognitive, and environmental levels from infancy to adolescence. Understanding the early developmental trajectories of reading, behaviorally and in the brain, will allow for better understanding of the etiological basis of reading impairments and will help inform early screening, identification and remediation practices. Finally, current and potential implications of these findings for contemporary challenges in the field of developmental cognitive neuroscience as well as for education and clinical practice in general, are discussed. Bio: Nadine is an associate professor of pediatrics at Boston Children’s Hospital Boston and the Harvard Medical School, and a member of the faculty at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. She received a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Zurich in Switzerland and did postdoctoral training at Stanford University and MIT. Her current research within the Laboratories of Cognitive Neuroscience focuses on auditory and language processing in the human brain and its applications for the development of typical and atypical language and literacy skills. The Gaablab utilizes structural and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) as well as behavioral measurement tools. The Gaablab is currently working on various topics such as the identification of possible pre-markers of developmental dyslexia in the pre-reading and infant brain, the identification of the underlying neural mechanism of comorbidity of developmental dyslexia and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, brain plasticity following sound and music based remediation programs for reading and language impaired, children, the influence of musical training on cognitive and academic abilities and the neural correlates of language and reading development across the life-span. The Gaablab employs cross-sectional and longitudinal study designs, and works closely with over 20 private and public schools within the Greater New England area.