Early-stage effects in fluctuations and correlations of conserved charges

Fluctuations and correlations of conserved charges—such as baryon number, electric charge, and strangeness—are sensitive probes of the QCD medium created in heavy-ion collisions. In this talk, we explore how early-stage dynamics, including pre-equilibrium effects and initial state fluctuations, influence the development of these observables. Using transport and hydrodynamic models, we quantify the imprint of early-stage processes on final-state charge correlations and discuss their relevance for interpreting experimental data. Special attention is given to how these effects may obscure or mimic signals of the QCD phase transition or critical point. Our results emphasize the need for a comprehensive treatment of the entire evolution history when extracting thermodynamic information from charge fluctuation measurements.