Positions

Professor & Brown Foundation Chair in Neuroscience

Department of Neuroscience
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, TX 77030

Addresses

Baylor College of Medicine (Office)

Department of Neuroscience, S709
Houston, TX 77030
United States
Phone: (713) 798-8141
jfmedina@bcm.edu

Education

Postdoctoral Fellowship at UCSF, San Francisco

12/2007 - Neuroscience

PhD from University of Texas, Houston

05/2000 - Neuroscience

BS from Drexel University, Philadelphia

05/1993 - Computer Science

BS from Drexel University, Philadelphia

05/1993 - Physics

Professional Interests

• Neural Circuits
• Computational Neuroscience
• Prediction Machines
• Supervised Learning
• Artificial Neural Networks

Professional Statement

My laboratory investigates how neural circuits use supervised learning to make predictions. Our goal is to answer two key questions about the computational algorithms implemented in the brain: (1) how is information about the past used to predict the future, (2) how are error signals used to update and improve these predictions. To provide mechanistic answers to these difficult questions, we study the function of neural circuits in mice trained to predict future events. Our experimental approach allows us to visualize and perturb the activity of cell-specific neuron populations with millisecond precision, by taking advantage of powerful new tools in electrophysiology, two-photon imaging and optogenetics. In addition, we use machine learning and build large-scale computer models and artificial neural networks to reveal general computational principles, test our hypotheses in real-world applications, and suggest novel research directions. Our work has implications for understanding and treating a wide range of motor and cognitive brain disorders that have been linked to deficits in supervised learning and prediction.

Websites

Selected Publications

• Heiney SA, Wojaczynski GJ, Medina JF "Action-based organization of a cerebellar module specialized for predictive control of multiple body parts." Neuron. 2021;109(18):2981-2994.
• Kim OA, Ohmae S, Medina JF "A cerebello-olivary signal for negative prediction error is sufficient to cause extinction of associative motor learning." Nat Neurosci. 2020;23(12):1550-1554.
• Raymond JL, Medina JF "Computational principles of supervised learning in the cerebellum." Ann Rev Neurosci. 2018;41:233-253.
• Giovannucci A, Badura A, Deverett B, Najafi F, Pereira TD, Gao Z, Ozden I, Kloth AD, Pnevmatikakis E, Paninski L, De Zeeuw CI, Medina JF, Wang SS "Cerebellar granule cells acquire a widespread predictive feedback signal during motor learning." Nat Neurosci. 2017;20(5):727-734.