John Pearson

Neurobiology

Assistant Professor of Neurobiology

John Pearson Profile Photo
John Pearson Profile Photo

Bio

My research focuses on the application of machine learning methods to the analysis of brain data and behavior. I have a special interest in the neurobiology of reward and decision-making, particularly issues surrounding foraging, impulsivity, and self-control. More generally, I am interested in computational principles underlying brain organization at the mesoscale, and work in my lab studies phenomena that range from complex social behaviors to coding principles of the retina.

Education

  • B.S. University of Kentucky, 1999
  • Ph.D. Princeton University, 2004

Positions

  • Assistant Professor of Neurobiology
  • Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
  • Assistant Research Professor in Neurobiology
  • Member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience

Awards, Honors, and Distinctions

  • Early Career Mentoring Award in Basic u2014 Translational Science. Duke University School of Medicine. 2022
  • Gordon G. Hammes Faculty Teaching Award. Duke University School of Medicine. 2020

Courses Taught

  • EGR 491: Projects in Engineering
  • NEUROBIO 393: Research Independent Study
  • NEUROBIO 735: Quantitative Approaches in Neurobiology
  • NEUROBIO 793: Research in Neurobiology
  • NEUROSCI 493: Research Independent Study 1
  • NEUROSCI 494: Research Independent Study 2
  • NEUROSCI 755: Interdisciplinary Program in Cognitive Neuroscience (IPCN) Independent Research Rotation