John Pearson
@jmxpearson.bsky.social
Computational neuroscience, neuroML, natural behavior. I charge more for miracles. PI @ pearsonlab.github.io. @dukemedschool.bsky.social.
Pinned
John Pearson
@jmxpearson.bsky.social
· Nov 11
Pearson Lab at Duke University
pearsonlab.github.io
Okay, long-overdue introduction. I’m a computational neuroscientist at Duke, where my lab (pearsonlab.github.io) does theory “bottom up”: we try to start by modeling data and build toward principles.
Reposted by John Pearson
Our paper is out in @natneuro.nature.com!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We develop a geometric theory of how neural populations support generalization across many tasks.
@zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
@flatironinstitute.org
@kempnerinstitute.bsky.social
1/14
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We develop a geometric theory of how neural populations support generalization across many tasks.
@zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
@flatironinstitute.org
@kempnerinstitute.bsky.social
1/14
February 10, 2026 at 3:56 PM
Our paper is out in @natneuro.nature.com!
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We develop a geometric theory of how neural populations support generalization across many tasks.
@zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
@flatironinstitute.org
@kempnerinstitute.bsky.social
1/14
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
We develop a geometric theory of how neural populations support generalization across many tasks.
@zuckermanbrain.bsky.social
@flatironinstitute.org
@kempnerinstitute.bsky.social
1/14
Reposted by John Pearson
The lesson for all the students out there is that science is a community project. Most of us make individually small contributions to this project. Success is measured at the collective level. Many of our professional (and personal) dysfunctions could be fixed by more fully embracing this view.
February 7, 2026 at 11:20 AM
The lesson for all the students out there is that science is a community project. Most of us make individually small contributions to this project. Success is measured at the collective level. Many of our professional (and personal) dysfunctions could be fixed by more fully embracing this view.
Reposted by John Pearson
Konstanz School of Collective Behavior 2026 is one of a kind school where students delve into state of the art research on collective behavior.
Apply here: www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/kscb/applica...
Deadline: March 15th, 2026
@cbehav.bsky.social @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social @uni-konstanz.de
Apply here: www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/kscb/applica...
Deadline: March 15th, 2026
@cbehav.bsky.social @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social @uni-konstanz.de
We have an amazing line up for KSCB 2026
Anastasia Bizyaeva from Cornell University. Her research group uses non-linear dynamics and control theory to understand collective systems.
sites.google.com/cornell.edu/...
Anastasia Bizyaeva from Cornell University. Her research group uses non-linear dynamics and control theory to understand collective systems.
sites.google.com/cornell.edu/...
February 5, 2026 at 6:17 AM
Konstanz School of Collective Behavior 2026 is one of a kind school where students delve into state of the art research on collective behavior.
Apply here: www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/kscb/applica...
Deadline: March 15th, 2026
@cbehav.bsky.social @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social @uni-konstanz.de
Apply here: www.exc.uni-konstanz.de/kscb/applica...
Deadline: March 15th, 2026
@cbehav.bsky.social @mpi-animalbehav.bsky.social @uni-konstanz.de
Reposted by John Pearson
Reminder: CCN 2026 Proceedings abstracts are due today, Feb 9, Anywhere on Earth (AOE).
🚨 #CCN2026 Proceedings submissions are open!
CCN 2026 again features an 8-page Proceedings track (alongside extended abstracts). Accepted papers will appear in CCN-Proceedings (CCN‑P) with DOIs on OpenReview.
CCN 2026 again features an 8-page Proceedings track (alongside extended abstracts). Accepted papers will appear in CCN-Proceedings (CCN‑P) with DOIs on OpenReview.
February 9, 2026 at 10:26 AM
Reminder: CCN 2026 Proceedings abstracts are due today, Feb 9, Anywhere on Earth (AOE).
Reposted by John Pearson
the NYU WILD Lab is hiring a new postdoc, to work on bird-window collision research and other wild animal welfare topics in the urban context. Feel free to contact me with questions. apply.interfolio.com/180942
Apply - Interfolio
{{$ctrl.$state.data.pageTitle}} - Apply - Interfolio
apply.interfolio.com
February 3, 2026 at 3:24 PM
the NYU WILD Lab is hiring a new postdoc, to work on bird-window collision research and other wild animal welfare topics in the urban context. Feel free to contact me with questions. apply.interfolio.com/180942
Reposted by John Pearson
We’re hiring! The Suthana Lab @ Duke is looking for a Research Assistant to join our team studying human memory & real-world 🧠 dynamics using wearable tech & intracranial recordings.
Apply: careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-C...
You can also email suthanalab@duke.edu with CV/questions. Please share!
Apply: careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-C...
You can also email suthanalab@duke.edu with CV/questions. Please share!
February 5, 2026 at 4:41 PM
We’re hiring! The Suthana Lab @ Duke is looking for a Research Assistant to join our team studying human memory & real-world 🧠 dynamics using wearable tech & intracranial recordings.
Apply: careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-C...
You can also email suthanalab@duke.edu with CV/questions. Please share!
Apply: careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-C...
You can also email suthanalab@duke.edu with CV/questions. Please share!
Absolutely incredible opportunity for someone interested in cutting edge human neuroscience and neurotech.
We’re hiring! The Suthana Lab @ Duke is looking for a Research Assistant to join our team studying human memory & real-world 🧠 dynamics using wearable tech & intracranial recordings.
Apply: careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-C...
You can also email suthanalab@duke.edu with CV/questions. Please share!
Apply: careers.duke.edu/job/Durham-C...
You can also email suthanalab@duke.edu with CV/questions. Please share!
February 6, 2026 at 11:12 PM
Absolutely incredible opportunity for someone interested in cutting edge human neuroscience and neurotech.
Reposted by John Pearson
I have news! After 4 fabulous years at Northeastern, this July I will be moving to Duke—with tenure! It’s hard to convey how grateful I am to everyone who has made this possible: from old professors in Mexico and mentors in the US to students, colleagues, and, of course, my amazing wife and family.
February 6, 2026 at 5:41 PM
I have news! After 4 fabulous years at Northeastern, this July I will be moving to Duke—with tenure! It’s hard to convey how grateful I am to everyone who has made this possible: from old professors in Mexico and mentors in the US to students, colleagues, and, of course, my amazing wife and family.
Reposted by John Pearson
One day online conference on the ways behavioral and neural sciences can inform peace efforts. Organized by Duke's amazing @felipedebrigard.bsky.social Free! Tomorrow! (Fri Feb 6). To register see link below.
behavioralscientist.org/program-neur...
behavioralscientist.org/program-neur...
February 6, 2026 at 12:18 AM
One day online conference on the ways behavioral and neural sciences can inform peace efforts. Organized by Duke's amazing @felipedebrigard.bsky.social Free! Tomorrow! (Fri Feb 6). To register see link below.
behavioralscientist.org/program-neur...
behavioralscientist.org/program-neur...
Reposted by John Pearson
Bibliography cleanup is known to be harder than AGI. Same with successfully connecting a laptop with a projector. It's what we humans will be doing long after the robot takeover. 😇
February 4, 2026 at 10:56 PM
Bibliography cleanup is known to be harder than AGI. Same with successfully connecting a laptop with a projector. It's what we humans will be doing long after the robot takeover. 😇
Reposted by John Pearson
This is who runs this account
February 4, 2026 at 5:12 PM
This is who runs this account
Reposted by John Pearson
Kenneth Catania spoke with @thetransmitter.bsky.social about how the specialized snout of the star-nosed mole allows for high-speed foraging and underscores the importance of studying behavior alongside anatomy.
By Lauren Schneider
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/neuros-ark/n...
By Lauren Schneider
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/neuros-ark/n...
Neuro’s ark: Understanding fast foraging with star-nosed moles
“MacArthur genius” Kenneth Catania outlined the physiology behind the moles’ stellar foraging skills two decades ago. Next, he wants to better characterize their food-seeking behavior.
www.thetransmitter.org
February 4, 2026 at 2:57 PM
Kenneth Catania spoke with @thetransmitter.bsky.social about how the specialized snout of the star-nosed mole allows for high-speed foraging and underscores the importance of studying behavior alongside anatomy.
By Lauren Schneider
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/neuros-ark/n...
By Lauren Schneider
#neuroskyence
www.thetransmitter.org/neuros-ark/n...
Reposted by John Pearson
Taking the #GRCBasalGanglia Oath ✋🏼
I acknowledge that the go/no-go model of the BG was useful but it is outdated and incorrect, or at least incomplete. I pledge not to use the go/no-go model as a strawman to motivate my work.
I acknowledge that the go/no-go model of the BG was useful but it is outdated and incorrect, or at least incomplete. I pledge not to use the go/no-go model as a strawman to motivate my work.
February 2, 2026 at 7:57 PM
Taking the #GRCBasalGanglia Oath ✋🏼
I acknowledge that the go/no-go model of the BG was useful but it is outdated and incorrect, or at least incomplete. I pledge not to use the go/no-go model as a strawman to motivate my work.
I acknowledge that the go/no-go model of the BG was useful but it is outdated and incorrect, or at least incomplete. I pledge not to use the go/no-go model as a strawman to motivate my work.
Reposted by John Pearson
Why don’t neural networks learn all at once, but instead progress from simple to complex solutions? And what does “simple” even mean across different neural network architectures?
Sharing our new paper @iclr_conf led by Yedi Zhang with Peter Latham
arxiv.org/abs/2512.20607
Sharing our new paper @iclr_conf led by Yedi Zhang with Peter Latham
arxiv.org/abs/2512.20607
February 3, 2026 at 4:19 PM
Why don’t neural networks learn all at once, but instead progress from simple to complex solutions? And what does “simple” even mean across different neural network architectures?
Sharing our new paper @iclr_conf led by Yedi Zhang with Peter Latham
arxiv.org/abs/2512.20607
Sharing our new paper @iclr_conf led by Yedi Zhang with Peter Latham
arxiv.org/abs/2512.20607
Reposted by John Pearson
Can anyone suggest a good guides for using lab notebooks? (Like the traditional pen and paper bench scientist ones, not computational). Like I want to know what you're expected to write down, how you capture and transform the really important stuff, how you refer back to them etc etc
February 3, 2026 at 9:21 PM
Can anyone suggest a good guides for using lab notebooks? (Like the traditional pen and paper bench scientist ones, not computational). Like I want to know what you're expected to write down, how you capture and transform the really important stuff, how you refer back to them etc etc
Reposted by John Pearson
this shouldn't stop or contradict a dedicated hater. rather it poses an honorable to dishonorable axiom alongside which hating exists.
hating something new because it sucks: honorable hater behavior. hating something because its author retroactively sucks: dishonorable hating
hating something new because it sucks: honorable hater behavior. hating something because its author retroactively sucks: dishonorable hating
one thing that would be cool, when prominent creators turn out to be terrible people, would be if we didn't have to go through this performative dance of insisting that their work was never good in the first place.
February 3, 2026 at 9:36 PM
this shouldn't stop or contradict a dedicated hater. rather it poses an honorable to dishonorable axiom alongside which hating exists.
hating something new because it sucks: honorable hater behavior. hating something because its author retroactively sucks: dishonorable hating
hating something new because it sucks: honorable hater behavior. hating something because its author retroactively sucks: dishonorable hating
Reposted by John Pearson
It's always frustrating to me how the term AI has evolved. AI was an umbrella term from 1950s. Then Machine Learning (a subset of AI), Deep Learning (a subset of ML), and modern generative AI (a subset DL). Now LLMs are used synonymously with "AI". So I made these graphics of the "AIroboros"
February 3, 2026 at 9:42 PM
It's always frustrating to me how the term AI has evolved. AI was an umbrella term from 1950s. Then Machine Learning (a subset of AI), Deep Learning (a subset of ML), and modern generative AI (a subset DL). Now LLMs are used synonymously with "AI". So I made these graphics of the "AIroboros"
Reposted by John Pearson
The first paper from the lab is now out in Science Advances: Multimodal social context modulates larval behavior in Drosophila
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
We find that fly larvae keep their distance to conspecifics in the absence of food, enjoy reading! @cbehav.bsky.social @uni-konstanz.de
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
We find that fly larvae keep their distance to conspecifics in the absence of food, enjoy reading! @cbehav.bsky.social @uni-konstanz.de
February 2, 2026 at 8:31 PM
The first paper from the lab is now out in Science Advances: Multimodal social context modulates larval behavior in Drosophila
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
We find that fly larvae keep their distance to conspecifics in the absence of food, enjoy reading! @cbehav.bsky.social @uni-konstanz.de
www.science.org/doi/10.1126/...
We find that fly larvae keep their distance to conspecifics in the absence of food, enjoy reading! @cbehav.bsky.social @uni-konstanz.de
Reposted by John Pearson
Bumping this up again now that it's February. The search for the new Chair of Neurobiology at Duke is ongoing!
First step in the application process is simple: submit a letter of interest and CV by Feb 28.
If you feel qualified, please apply - or let others know!
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
First step in the application process is simple: submit a letter of interest and CV by Feb 28.
If you feel qualified, please apply - or let others know!
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
February 2, 2026 at 7:43 PM
Bumping this up again now that it's February. The search for the new Chair of Neurobiology at Duke is ongoing!
First step in the application process is simple: submit a letter of interest and CV by Feb 28.
If you feel qualified, please apply - or let others know!
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
First step in the application process is simple: submit a letter of interest and CV by Feb 28.
If you feel qualified, please apply - or let others know!
www.nature.com/naturecareer...
Reposted by John Pearson
So psyched for this year's Neural Mechanisms of Acoustic Communication (NMAC) GRC! Come join us in May, and please RT!
We are excited to announce that registration is open for the 2026 Neural Mechanisms of Acoustic Communication Gordon Research Conference. The preliminary program is now live: www.grc.org/neural-mecha...
We invite everyone to apply! See you @ Sunday River, Maine, May 31-June 5, 2026.
We invite everyone to apply! See you @ Sunday River, Maine, May 31-June 5, 2026.
January 30, 2026 at 9:46 PM
So psyched for this year's Neural Mechanisms of Acoustic Communication (NMAC) GRC! Come join us in May, and please RT!
Reposted by John Pearson
Reposted by John Pearson
New paper with @deanpospisil.bsky.social , in which we introduce a new estimator for the "signal eigenspectrum" (i.e., the eigenvalues of the noiseless population responses). We re-analyze data from Stringer et al 2019 and show eigenvalues of mouse V1 are well explained by a broken power.
New paper out at PNAS: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Revisiting the high-dimensional geometry of population responses in the visual cortex with @jpillowtime.bsky.social. The review took forever because a reviewer was doubtful our new estimator can infer eigenvalues beyond the rank of the data! (1/6)
Revisiting the high-dimensional geometry of population responses in the visual cortex with @jpillowtime.bsky.social. The review took forever because a reviewer was doubtful our new estimator can infer eigenvalues beyond the rank of the data! (1/6)
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
January 28, 2026 at 7:39 AM
New paper with @deanpospisil.bsky.social , in which we introduce a new estimator for the "signal eigenspectrum" (i.e., the eigenvalues of the noiseless population responses). We re-analyze data from Stringer et al 2019 and show eigenvalues of mouse V1 are well explained by a broken power.
Reposted by John Pearson
New paper out at PNAS: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Revisiting the high-dimensional geometry of population responses in the visual cortex with @jpillowtime.bsky.social. The review took forever because a reviewer was doubtful our new estimator can infer eigenvalues beyond the rank of the data! (1/6)
Revisiting the high-dimensional geometry of population responses in the visual cortex with @jpillowtime.bsky.social. The review took forever because a reviewer was doubtful our new estimator can infer eigenvalues beyond the rank of the data! (1/6)
PNAS
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a peer reviewed journal of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) - an authoritative source of high-impact, original research that broadly spans...
www.pnas.org
January 27, 2026 at 4:34 PM
New paper out at PNAS: www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/...
Revisiting the high-dimensional geometry of population responses in the visual cortex with @jpillowtime.bsky.social. The review took forever because a reviewer was doubtful our new estimator can infer eigenvalues beyond the rank of the data! (1/6)
Revisiting the high-dimensional geometry of population responses in the visual cortex with @jpillowtime.bsky.social. The review took forever because a reviewer was doubtful our new estimator can infer eigenvalues beyond the rank of the data! (1/6)