Dr. Hoeft’s current research program focuses on brain development, and brain mechanisms underlying skill acquisition such as language and reading, and educationally relevant concepts such as motivation, mindset, grit and stereotype threat. Her group examines brain development in children using various neuroimaging techniques. She is particularly interested in identifying how biology (gene) and environment influence the development of language, social and executive brain networks and in developing practical (clinical and educational) applications of neuroimaging.