Junda Zhu, Ph.D.
Neuroscientist | Biomedical Engineer
Translating complex neuroscience into actionable insights for healthcare and technology
Postdoctoral Scientist | Cedars-Sinai Medical Center
Los Angeles, CA
Professional Overview
Neuroscientist and biomedical engineer focused on adolescent cognitive development and prefrontal cortex function. I integrate neuroimaging (MRI/DTI/fMRI), electrophysiology, and machine learning to link brain maturation with behavior and translate findings to human neurosurgical applications at Cedars‑Sinai.
Research Excellence
Leading-edge work across DTI/fMRI and single‑unit/clinical recordings with 15+ publications
Collaboration & Mentorship
Cross-functional leadership of neuroimaging and electrophysiology teams; mentoring next-generation scientists
Clinical Translation
Translating imaging and intracranial recording insights to neurosurgery and neuropsychiatry
Recent Highlights
Talk at Neureport Vol.81
Presented "The adolescent brain: structure, neural activity, and cognitive maturation" at iBrainTalks Neureport series
January 2026New Paper in Nature Neuroscience
Longitudinal measures of monkey brain structure and activity through adolescence predict cognitive maturation
October 2025Editorial Appointment
Honored to join as an editor for The Innovation Life journal
December 2024Cedars-Sinai Appointment
Started new role as Postdoctoral Scientist focusing on human brain research and clinical applications
June 2024Ph.D. Completion
Successfully defended Ph.D. dissertation in Neuroscience at Vanderbilt University
May 2024Core Competencies
Clinical & Translational Science
- Clinical Operations & Regulatory Compliance
- Clinical Outcome Measures Development
- Medical Device V&V Support
- Study Design & Management
Scientific Communications & Strategy
- Scientific Writing & Publishing (12+ papers)
- Evidence Generation & Regulatory Support
- Publication Planning & Congress Dissemination
- Grant Contribution & Stakeholder Communication
Neuroscience Research Methods
- Neuroimaging (fMRI, DTI, structural MRI)
- Neurophysiology (human & NHP recordings)
- Behavioral Task Design & Deployment
- Multi-modal Data Integration
Data Science & Technology
- Advanced Statistical Modeling & Machine Learning
- Programming (Python, MATLAB, R - 10+ yrs)
- Reproducible Research Pipelines
- Data Visualization & Communication
Certifications
Achievements at a Glance
Featured Research
Brain Structure and Activity Predicting Cognitive Maturation
Multilevel longitudinal study examining how brain structural changes affect neuronal activity that determines cognitive performance during adolescence.
Brain Charts for the Rhesus Macaque Lifespan
Created normative growth charts for brain structure across the rhesus macaque lifespan using 1,522 MRI scans from the PRIME-DE Consortium.
Laminar Pattern of Adolescent Development
Investigated the laminar distribution of neurophysiological changes during adolescent development in working memory.
Emergence of Prefrontal Neuron Maturation
Training recurrent neural networks to perform working memory tasks, revealing universal properties underlying neuronal computations.
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