Dr. Reza Shadmehr: Computational Motor Control & The Cerebellum

For today's episode we learn about the cerebellum with Dr. Reza Shadmehr. Dr. Shadmehr is a trailblazing neuroscientist whose groundbreaking work has reshaped our understanding of how the brain controls movement. With a rich academic journey—from a bachelor’s in electrical engineering to a PhD in robotics and computer science, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at MIT—Dr. Shadmehr now leads the Shadmehr Lab at Johns Hopkins University. We dive into his pioneering theories, including motor memory consolidation, state space theory, and the neural encoding of action by the cerebellum’s Purkinje cells. The conversation explores the physics of motor movement, prediction, error correction, and the often-overlooked power of the cerebellum—a brain region Dr. Shadmehr calls an “underrated yet powerful” player in our daily lives.

Dr. Shadmehr shares his personal path into neuroscience, sparked by a childhood fascination with the brain. This curiosity led him to blend engineering principles with biology, culminating in a lifelong mission to decode how the brain builds internal models for movement. We unpack the cerebellum’s critical role in fine-tuning actions—like stopping the tongue precisely or ensuring eye movements hit their mark, to cutting-edge research with marmosets. The episode also touches on the interplay between reward, effort, and cerebellar function, revealing surprising discoveries about how this brain region cancels noise to keep our movements smooth and purposeful.

Shadmehr Lab: http://shadmehrlab.org

Publications: http://shadmehrlab.org/publications

YT Videos (Very Good !): https://www.youtube.com/@shadmehrlab1352

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00:00 Reza Shadmehr

02:26 Daylight Computer Company, use "autism" for $25 discount

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9:54 Reza's journey into Biomedical Engineering & Neuroscience

16:26 Understanding the Cerebellum; 3 primary functions

22:07 Neuronal Communication & Purkinje Cells; Sensory and Interneurons

25:41 Cerebellum, eyes, and Autistic phenotype; Mesencephalon & other connections

28:13 Excitation/Inhibition (E/I) balance; Video examples & Movement deficiencies

29:29 Layers of the Cerebellum

34:08 E/I & Brain function

36:30 Learning & Memory in the Cerebellum

39:54 Dysfunction & Brain Compensation

41:57 Basal Ganglia and Cerebellum

43:48 Internal Calculators & Prediction

49:42 Reward & Movement & Accuracy

52:52 Movement control; Eye movements

55:56 Purkinje Cells & Tongue movements; deceleration

59:47 Understanding Language of the Cerebellum

1:01:58 Future of Cerebellar Technology

X: https://x.com/rps47586

YT: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGxEzLKXkjppo3nqmpXpzuA

email: [e-mail]