Whether we are drafting architectural plans, calculating currency values and exchange rates, designing engines, or tabulating votes in an election, numerical and mathematical abilities play a central role in modern society. But despite this critical importance, young Canadians continue to struggle in developing math skills: mathematical performance of Canadian students on international math assessments has been steadily declining since 2003, and last year, no fewer than half of grade six students in Ontario failed to meet provincial standards for mathematics. In fact, just as many children present with math-related neurodevelopmental disorders as suffer from reading difficulties. Yet, because so little is known about the core competencies that support mathematical thinking, learning disorders in the mathematical domain remain poorly understood. In this talk, I will discuss behavioural and neuroimaging data that elucidate fundamental skills supporting mathematical thinking in adults and children. I will then highlight the importance of both cognitive and emotional factors when exploring the developmental trajectory of math skills and discuss a study that uncovers factors contributing to sex differences in math anxiety. My long-term aim is to understand individual differences in the way children learn math and develop optimized learning processes for all children. Bio: Dr. Moriah Sokolowski is an incoming Assistant Professor at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU; formerly Ryerson). She completed her M.Sc. (2015) and Ph.D. (2019) in Developmental Psychology at Western University and was a Banting Post-doctoral fellow at the Rotman Research Institute at Baycrest Hospital from January 2020 to June 2023. Moriah’s research program converges around one fundamental question: how does the developing mind support complex learning? Because mathematical thinking is a learned skill that builds on both core competencies and previously acquired knowledge, it serves as an ideal model for how we learn complex concepts. Moriah explores how the learning brain develops using diverse methodologies, including behavioural and brain-imaging techniques, in children, adolescents and adults. In addition to conducting basic science, she is passionate about linking her findings to real-world outcomes to support individual well-being and population-level innovation. Thus, in a related stream of research, she explores how individual differences in core competencies (e.g., visual imagery, spatial thinking, memory) relate to real-world outcomes (e.g., academic achievement and occupational success). She uncovered basic building blocks of mathematical competence and identified early cognitive, emotional and neural markers that relate to students selecting and succeeding in science, technology, engineering and mathematical (STEM) disciplines.