Neural Processing Lab is a group of people who dream of challenging the world and making it more beautiful through brain activity and sleep research.

Jul 2023 - Present         Assistant Professor, Dept. of Biological Sciences, KAIST, South Korea

Nov 2017 - Jun 2023    Postdoctoral Researcher, Dept. of Neurology, University of California San Francisco, USA

Nov 2017 - Jun 2023    Postdoctoral Researcher, Neurology and Rehabilitation Service, SF Veterans Affairs Medical Center, USA

Jun 2017 - Nov 2017     Postdoctoral Researcher, Dept. of Biomedical engineering, Hanyang University, South Korea

Feb 2010 - Feb 2017     Ph.D., Dept. of Bio and Brain Engineering, KAIST, South Korea

Feb 2010 - Feb 2017     Renaissance Program, KAIST, South Korea

Mar 2006 - Feb 2010    B.S., Dept. of Biomedical Engineering, Hanyang University, South Korea

The ultimate output of the cognitive functions in the brain is observable through behavior. While motor memory is crucial for effectively applying learned motor skills at the right moment, the neural mechanisms of motor memory formation have received relatively less attention compared to its importance and significance. We study the principles of motor control and motor memory formation in rodents and extend our findings to human and non-human primates with collaborations.

To study the principles of motor control and motor memory formation in rodents, our main approaches involve natural motor tasks such as the reach-to-grasp task, as well as Brain-Machine Interface (BMI) tasks.

The reaching task involves a natural paw movement. Rats are trained to initiate the movement of their paw toward a pellet and retract the pellet to obtain it. The rats undergo daily training for this reaching task over a long-term period (2-3 weeks) to form long-term memories.

In our rodent BMI model, spiking activity is decoded into mechanical actuator movement. In a trial, the feeding tube rotates toward the target based on brain signals, and upon reaching the target, a water reward is given. With training, animals improve task performance, notably reducing task time.

Sleep is essential for learning and memory formation. Research on brain activity during sleep is a critical focus for understanding the formation of motor memory. It is known that the majority of memory consolidation occurs during non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep, a phenomenon observed in humans, primates, and rodents. Slow-oscillations and spindles in the cortex, and hippocampal sharp-wave ripples during NREM sleep play important roles in memory consolidation. 

Salvador Dalí’s method to enhance creative insight for art.
Step 1. Getting sleep holding heavy object.
 Step 2. Right as falling asleep, hand would drop the object, causing a loud noise that would wake the sleeper.
 Step 3. Use and record insights in sleep.

Sleep or dreams may be an origin of creative/innovative ideas, and modulating relevant sleep processing may enhance the ability to creatively solve problems. We are seeking to understand the role of sleep, dreams in specific, in the emergence of creative ideas and find neuromodulation techniques to enhance that process.

The field requires innovative approaches to comprehensively understand biological computation across various levels, spanning from DNA to the transmission of information between cells. This transformative understanding is essential for effectively leveraging neuroscience in a predictable and reliable manner. Our methodology involves computational modeling (both theoretical and mathematical) and computational analysis (utilizing techniques for dimensional reduction and memory quantification).

Moreover, for the advancement of treatments and rehabilitation methods for motor-deficit diseases and the development of technologies such as Brain-Machine Interface (BMI), understanding the neural mechanisms related to memory consolidation in the motor cortex plays a crucial role. Our research involves developing active therapeutic methods and real-time closed-loop circuit systems for enhancing BMI performance, based on brain stimulation during sleep. Our lab combines electrophysiological techniques with cutting-edge technologies like optical imaging and optogenetic stimulation to elucidate memory formation and motor learning principles across various brain regions during sleep.

Darevsky, D. ^**, Kim, J.^**, Ganguly K. (2024) Coupling of slow oscillations in prefrontal and motor cortex predicts onset of spindle trains and persistent memory reactivations. Journal of Neuroscience, doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.0621-24.2024. ** co-first author

Kim, J., Joshi, A., Frank, L., Ganguly K. (2023) Cortical–hippocampal coupling during manifold exploration in motor cortex. Nature, 613, 103-110. doi: 10.1038/s41586-022-05533-z. 

Kim, J., Gulati, T., Ganguly, K. (2019) Competing roles of slow oscillations and delta waves on memory consolidation versus forgetting. Cell, 179(2), 514-526. doi: 10.1016/j.cell.2019.08.040 (the cover article).

Kim, J., Guo, L., Hishinuma. A., Lemke, S., Ramanathan, D.S., Won. S., Ganguly, K. (2022) Recovery of consolidation after sleep following stroke – interaction of slow waves, spindles and GABA. Cell Reports,38, 110426,doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2022.110426. 

Kim, J., Oh, Y., Park, C., Kang, Y.M., Shin, H., Kim, I., Jang, D.P. (2019) Comparison study of partial least squares regression analysis and principal component analysis in fast scan cyclic voltammetry. International Journal of Electrochemical Science, 14, 5924-5937. doi: 10.20964/2019.07.03

Park, C., Oh, Y., Shin, H., Kim, J., Kang, Y., Sim, J., ... Jang, D.P. (2018). Fast cyclic square-wave voltammetry to enhance neurotransmitter selectivity and sensitivity. Analytical Chemistry, 90(22), 13348-13355. doi: 10.1021/acs.analchem.8b02920

Oh, Y., Heien, M.L., Park, C., Kang, Y.M., Kim, J., Boschen, S.L., ... Jang, D.P. (2018). Tracking tonic dopamine levels in vivo using multiple cyclic square wave voltammetry. Biosensors and Bioelectronics, 121, 174-182. doi: 10.1016/j.bios.2018.08.034

Kim, J., Fiorillo, C.D. (2017) Theory of optimal balance predicts and explains the amplitude and decay time of synaptic inhibition. Nature Communications, 8: 14566, doi: 10.1038/ncomms14566.

Fiorillo, C.D., Kim, J., Hong, S.Z. (2014) The meaning of spikes from the Neuron’s point of view: Predictive homeostasis generates the appearance of randomness. Frontiers in Computational Neuroscience, 29: 8-49, doi: 10.3389/fncom.2014.00049

PI : 김재경 교수 

Postdoc Fellow : 박민정, 한준호

Integrated master's and Ph.D. course : 장효석, Khushi Parashar, 양서영

Researcher : 이종훈, 여하은 

Intern researcher : 마준영, Teoman Dayi, 유승민

Homepage: https://sites.google.com/view/jk-lab/home?authuser=0

Contact: jaekyung.kim@kaist.ac.kr