John Medina is a developmental molecular biologist and affiliate professor of bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He has dedicated his career to researching the role of genes in brain development and psychiatric disorders. Medina also worked as a private mental health research consultant for biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies. Medina has been recognized for his dedication to research and education. He was appointed affiliate scholar at the National Academy of Engineering and named Outstanding Faculty of the Year at the University of Washington. His work Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School has become a foundational text for schools and companies seeking to incorporate brain research into their structural systems.

Medina founded the Talaris Research Institute in 2000. This research center seeks to provide support for parents by exploring how infants process information. The Talaris Research Institute shares relevant research to parents in the following areas: physical and brain development, social and emotional development, learning and cognitive development, and communication and language development. Medina’s research is wide-reaching, but his focus is to provide access to practical research that will assist parents and children. His writing has followed this trajectory. In 2018, Medina wrote an article for EdSurge titled “Is Technology Bad for the Teenage Brain? (Yes, No and It’s Complicated).