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John Pearson

Associate Professor of Neurobiology
Neurobiology
Duke Box 90999, Durham, NC 27708
Bryan Research Building, 101H, Durham, NC 27710

Overview


What makes us intelligent? How do the hundred billion cells in our brain give rise to speech, music, and athletic performance, and how does this process break down in disease? Just as fixing a computer requires a mental model of how its parts work together, treating brain disorders will require understanding the fundamental principles by which the brain develops, learns, and maintains its function over time. 

Our lab works to identify these fundamental principles. In close collaboration with experimentalists, we devise new methods for distilling scientific hypotheses from large and complex data sets, and we build AI-driven systems that adapt experiments to incoming data in real time. Our ultimate goal is to produce theories that allow both scientists and clinicians to reason about brain function, understand existing data, and devise new treatments.

Current Appointments & Affiliations


Associate Professor of Neurobiology · 2025 - Present Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments
Assistant Research Professor in Neurobiology · 2018 - Present Neurobiology, Basic Science Departments
Assistant Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering · 2018 - Present Electrical and Computer Engineering, Pratt School of Engineering
Assistant Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience · 2021 - Present Psychology & Neuroscience, Trinity College of Arts & Sciences
Member of the Center for Cognitive Neuroscience · 2016 - Present Center for Cognitive Neuroscience, Duke Institute for Brain Sciences

In the News


Published March 25, 2025
A Hit of Dopamine Tells Baby Birds When Their Song Practice Is Paying Off
Published April 15, 2022
School of Medicine Celebrates 2022 Faculty Achievement Awards
Published October 21, 2021
Neuroscientists See How Practice Really Does Make Perfect

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Recent Publications


Dual neuromodulatory dynamics underlie birdsong learning.

Journal Article Nature · May 2025 Although learning in response to extrinsic reinforcement is theorized to be driven by dopamine signals that encode the difference between expected and experienced rewards1,2, skills that enable verbal or musical expression can be learned without extrinsic ... Full text Link to item Cite

Vocalization modulates the mouse auditory cortex even in the absence of hearing.

Journal Article Cell Rep · August 27, 2024 Vocal communication depends on distinguishing self-generated vocalizations from other sounds. Vocal motor corollary discharge (CD) signals are thought to support this ability by adaptively suppressing auditory cortical responses to auditory feedback. One c ... Full text Link to item Cite
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Recent Grants


Neurobiology Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2024 - 2029

Duke University Psychiatry Physician-Scientist Residency Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of Mental Health · 2024 - 2029

Neurocognitive mechanisms of control over cognitive stability and flexibility

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of Mental Health · 2023 - 2028

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Education, Training & Certifications


Princeton University · 2004 Ph.D.
University of Kentucky · 1999 B.S.