Baylor College of Medicine · NeuroscienceCerebellar Insights Lab
Javier F Medina · Houston, Texas
Research Focus
Dr. Javier F. Medina's lab investigates how the cerebellum, a region of the brain essential for motor control and cognitive processes, learns from errors to improve functioning. The research focuses on understanding how error signals impact cerebellar activity during various tasks, which could lead to new therapies for disorders linked to cerebellar dysfunction, such as ataxia, autism, and schizophrenia. By using advanced techniques like optogenetics and high-density neural probes, the lab aims to uncover how the cerebellum processes sensory information to enhance both movement and cognitive abilities.
error signalingcerebellummotor controlcognitive functionneural circuitshigh-density recordingoptogeneticsneurological disorderslearningtherapeutics
Research Aims
4AIM 01Investigate how the cerebellum encodes error signals during learning tasks.
AIM 02Examine the role of different brain regions, like the somatosensory and prefrontal cortices, in modulating cerebellar function.
AIM 03Develop new therapeutic strategies to enhance cerebellar performance in health and disease.
AIM 04Analyze the activity of mossy fibers during cerebellar tasks to understand their influence on motor and cognitive functions.
Skills the Lab Values
optogeneticsanimal behavior experimentsneural recording techniquesdata analysiscircuit mappingbehavioral task designmolecular biology techniquesmachine learning applicationshigh-density neural probes
Output against the department
Publications89bottom 28% of dept.478th of 671
this lab
most publishedleast published
Citations5.6kbottom 40% of dept.403rd of 671
this lab
most citedleast cited
Career totals from OpenAlex, compared against labs that share a department. A department spans everything from one paper to tens of thousands, so bar heights are on a log scale — otherwise the largest lab would flatten every other bar to a line.