Curriculum Vitae

 

Reynaldo Daniel Pinto

 

Date of birth: January 3rd, 1968 in São Paulo city, SP, Brazil

e-mail: reynaldo@if.usp.br, reynaldo@ucsd.edu

homepages: http://inls.ucsd.edu/~rpinto, http://fge.if.usp.br/~reynaldo

contact address:  Laboratório de Fenômenos Não Lineares

                            Departamento de Física Geral

                            Instituto de Física da USP

                            Caixa Postal 66318

                            CEP 05315-970, São Paulo, SP

                            Brazil

phone: +55 (11) 3091-6788, +55 (11) 3091-6624

fax:      +55 (11) 3813-4334

 

 

Current Occupation:

           

- Assistant Professor at the Department of General Physics (Nonlinear Phenomena Laboratory) of the Institute of Physics (IFUSP)- University of São Paulo (USP) - State of São Paulo (SP) – Brazil.

 

- Collaborator at the Institute for Nonlinear Science (INLS) - University of California, San Diego, USA (http://inls.ucsd.edu).

 

Current Research Interests:

 

- Biological Neural Networks;
- Experiments in Neural Dynamics;
- The role of Chaos in Biological Neural Networks;

- Processing and transmission of information in Biological Neural Networks;

- Central Pattern Generators;
- Synaptic Plasticity and Learning;
- Modifying Biological Neural Networks by Inserting Artificial Synapses and

   Conductances Using Dynamic Clamp Protocol;
- Dynamical Systems and Chaos;
- Topological Characterization of Experimental Attractors;
- Model Neurons and their Electronic Implementation;
- Interaction Between Artificial and Biological Neurons.

Educational Background:

 

- Post Doctor in Experimental Neuroscience at the Institute for Nonlinear

  Science, University of California, San Diego, USA from May/1999 to April/2001.

 

           - Ph.D. in Physics in March 1999 from the Institute of Physics - USP - SP - Brazil

              with the thesis “Complex Behavior in the Dripping Faucet Experiment” under

  supervision of Prof. José Carlos Sartorelli.

 

- Physics B. Sc. in 1993 from the Institute of Physics - USP - SP - Brazil.

 

- Electronics Technician in 1985 from the EPSG Castro Alves - SP - Brazil.

 

Awards:

 

            - Brazilian Physics Society - “Best Ph.D. Thesis Prize - Honor

              Mention” (November 2000) for the Ph. D. Thesis “Complex Behavior in a

              Dripping Faucet experiment”;

 

 

Fellowships:

 

- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo - FAPESP

  Post Doctoral fellowship at the IFUSP from May 2001;

 

- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo - FAPESP

  Post Doctoral fellowship at the INLS from May 1999 to April 2001;

 

- Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo - FAPESP

  Ph.D. fellowship from March 1997 to February 1999;

 

- Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa - CNPq

  fellowship from March 1994 to February 1997.

 

 

Professional Experience:

 

- Teacher - from February 1994 to December 1997 at the Institute of 

   Physics - USP - SP – Brazil, in the following undergrad regular courses:

-     Introduction to Measurements in Physics – FAP 152 (1994 e 1995);

-         Termodynamics I – FMT 159 (1995, 1996);

-         Modern Physics II – FNC 376 (1996);

-         Mecanics of Rigid Bodies and Flows – FEP 255 (1997);

-         Óptics – FGE 160 (1997).

- Electronics technician (development and maintenance of electronic equipment

  for Nuclear Physics) - from March 1990 to March 1994 at the Linear Accelerator

  Laboratory - Institute of Physics - USP - SP - Brazil;  

 

- Electronic technician (computer maintenance) - from June 1986 to March 1990

  at the Electronics Computation Center - USP - SP - Brazil;

 

 

 

Supervision of Students:

 

            -Supervision of the lab work of the undergrad student Greeg Stiesberg with the

              project: “Implementation of a low dimensional chaotic neuron model in analog

              circuitry”, at the Institute for Nonlinear Science, UCSD from June/1999 to

              April/2001.

 

            -Supervision of the undergrad student Fabio Stucchi Vannucchi with the project:

             “Information Processing in Electronic Model Neurons: The Role of Chaos”,

             at the LFNL-IFUSP from March 2002.

 

            -Supervision of the undergrad student Gabriela Camargo Campos with the project:     

             “Dynamical Characterization of  Electronic Model Neurons Behavior with

             Lyapunov Exponents”at the LFNL-IFUSP from March 2002.

 

            -Co-supervision of the Ph.D. student Angela Maria dos Santos  with the project:

             “Nonlinear Dynamics and Information Theory Applied to Neural Networks”,

              at the Universidade Federal do Paraná (UFPR) with Prof. Ricardo Luiz Viana.

              from March 2002.  

 

 

Skills:

 

- computer Hardware;

- computer Operating Systems: DOS, Windows, Windows 95, VMS, UNIX,   

  Linux;

- development of software: Assembler, Pascal, C, and C++ languages;

- development and assembly of digital electronics, data acquisition boards, analog 

   circuits, interfaces between experiments and computers;

            - mechanical and electro-electronics assemblies.

 

 

Development of Scientific Software (free downladable):

 

- DYNACLAMP4: software developed to control up to 4  biological neurons, introducing artificial synapses and conductances in real time. Free downloads from:

http://fge.if.usp.br/~reynaldo/dynclamp.htm  or http://inls.ucsd.edu/~rpinto/dynclamp.htm

 

 

 

Relevant Publications:

 

1) M. I. Rabinovich, R. D. Pinto, E. Tumer, G. Stiesberg, R. Huerta, and H. D. I. Abarbanel, The role of dynamical synapses in neural information processing, Submitted to Network: Computation in Neural Systems (2001).

 

2) M. I. Rabinovich, R. D. Pinto, and R. Huerta, Informational Neurodynamics: What are we looking for?, Accepted for publication in J. Stat. Phys (2001).

 

3) G. R. Stiesberg, R. D. Pinto, A. Szücs, and H. D. I. Abarbanel, Implementation of a low dimensional chaotic neuron model in analog circuitry, Accepted fo publication in Am. J. Phys. (2001).

 

4) M. I. Rabinovich, R. D. Pinto, and R. Huerta, Some problems of Informational Neurodynamics, Accepted for publication in Izv. VUZ Raiofiz., RPQAEC, 44(6) junho (2001).

 

5) R. D. Pinto, R. C. Elson, A. Szücs, M. I. Rabinovich, A. I. Selverston, and H. D. I. Abarbanel, Extended dynamic clamp: controlling up to four neurons using a single desktop computer and interface, J. Neurosci. Methods, 108, 39-48 (2001).

 

6) R. D. Pinto, J. C. Sartorelli, and W. M. Gonçalves, Homoclinic tangencies and routes to chaos in a dripping faucet experiment, Physica A 291, 244-54 (2000).

 

7) A. I.  Selverston,  M. I. Rabinovich,  H. D. I.  Abarbanel, R. C. Elson, A. Szücs, R. D. Pinto,  R. Huerta,  and P. Varona,     Reliable   Circuits   from   Irregular  Neurons:  A Dynamical  Approach  to  Understanding  Central   Pattern  Generators,  J. Physiol. (Paris)  94, 357-374 (2000).

 

8) R. D. Pinto, P. Varona, A. R. Volkovskii, A. Szücs, H. D. I. Abarbanel, and M. I. Rabinovich, Synchronous behavior of two coupled electronic neurons, Phys. Rev. E 62, 2644-2656 (2000).

 

9) R. D. Pinto and J. C. Sartorelli, Homoclinic tangency and chaotic attractor disappearance in a dripping faucet, Phys. Rev. E 61, 342-347 (2000).

 

10) A. Tufaile, R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, and J. C. Sartorelli, Simulations in a dripping faucet experiment, Phys. Lett. A 255, 58-64 (1999).

 

11) W.M. Gonçalves, R.D. Pinto and J.C. Sartorelli, Symbolic dynamics analysis in the dripping faucet experiment, Physica D 134, 267-274 (1999).

 

12) R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, J. C. Sartorelli I. L. Caldas and M. S. Baptista, Interior crises in a dripping faucet experiment, Phys. Review E 58, 4009-4011 (1998).

 

13) W. M. Gonçalves, R. D. Pinto, J. C. Sartorelli, and M. J. de Oliveira, Inferring statistical complexity in the dripping faucet experiment, Physica A 257, 385-389 (1998).

 

14) J. G. M. da Silva, J. C. Sartorelli, W. M. Gonçalves, and R. D. Pinto, A scale law in a dripping Faucet, Phys. Lett. A 226, 269 (1997);

 

15) M. S. F. da Rocha, J. C. Sartorelli, W. M. Gonçalves, and R. D. Pinto, Some dynamical aspects of the water drop formation in a leaky faucet, Phys.  Rev. E 54, 2378 (1996);

16) T. J. P. Penna, P. M. C. de Oliveira, J. C. Sartorelli, W. M. Gonçalves, and R. D. Pinto, Long-range anticorrelations and non-Gaussian behavior of a leaky faucet, Phys. Rev. E 52, 2168R (1995);

 

17) R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, J. C. Sartorelli, and M. J. de Oliveira, Hopf bifurcation in a leaky faucet experiment, Phys. Rev. E 52, 6896 (1995);

 

18) J. C. Sartorelli, W. M. Gonçalves, and R. D. Pinto, Crisis and intermittence in a leaky faucet experiment, Phys. Rev. E 49, 3963 (1994).

 

 

 

Participation in International Conferences:

 

 

“Neural Information Processing: Analog simulations and experiments.”

R. D. Pinto, A. Szücs, R. Huerta, M. I. Rabinovich, A. I. Selverston, and H. D. I. Abarbanel.

31st Annual Meeting Society for Neuroscience,

November 10-15, 2001 – San Diego, CA, USA.

 

“DynClamp4: inserting simulated synapses and ionic conductances in up to four neurons.”

R. D. Pinto, R. C. Elson, A. Szücs, A. I. Selverston, M. I. Rabinovich, and H. D. I. Abarbanel.

30th Annual Meeting Society for Neuroscience

November 4-9, 2000 - New Orleans, LA, USA.

 

“Generation of oscillatory activity in small networks of interacting electronic and biological neurons.”

A. Szücs, R. D. Pinto, A. I. Selverston, P. Varona, M. I. Rabinovich, and H. D. I. Abarbanel.

30th Annual Meeting Society for Neuroscience

November 4-9, 2000 - New Orleans, LA, USA.

 

“Interior Crisis in a Dripping Faucet Experiment.”

R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves and J. C. Sartorelli,

V Latin American Workshop on Nonlinear Phenomena

September 28 - October 03, 1997 - Canela, RS, Brazil.

         

“Reconstruction of Computationally Equivalent Machines in the Dripping Faucet Experiment.”

W. M. Gonçalves, J. C. Sartorelli, R. D. Pinto and M. J. de Oliveira,

V Latin American Workshop on Nonlinear Phenomena

September 28 - October 03, 1997 - Canela, RS, Brazil.

         

“The Dripping Faucet: Chaotic or Critical Behavior?”

R.  D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, J. C. Sartorelli, P. M. C. de Oliveira, T. J. P. Penna, and A. R. de Lima.

Workshop on Foundations of Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics

October 20-24, 1997 - Natal, RN, Brazil.

         

“Topological Machine Reconstruction and Markovian Processes Modeling  in the Dripping Faucet Experiment.”

W. M. Gonçalves, J. C. Sartorelli, R. D. Pinto and M. J. de Oliveira.

Workshop on Foundations of Statistical Mechanics and Thermodynamics

October 20-24, 1997 - Natal, RN, Brazil.

 

“Interior Crisis in a Dripping Faucet Experiment: Does it occur Homoclinic Chaos in a Dripping Faucet?”

R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves and J. C. Sartorelli.

School on Non-Linear Dynamics 1997, ICCMP, UnB - Brasília, DF, Brazil.

“Reconstruction of topological e-machine l-digraph in the dripping faucet experiment.”

W. M. Gonçalves, J. C. Sartorelli, R. D. Pinto and M. J. de Oliveira.

School on Non-Linear Dynamics 1997, ICCMP, UnB - Brasília, DF, Brazil.

 

“Characteristic Periods in the Attractors of a Leaky Faucet Experiment.”

R.  D. Pinto, J. G. M. da Silva, and J. C. Sartorelli.

Non-linear Dynamics, Chaos, Control and their Applications in Engineering Sciences, American Academy of Mechanics and Associação Brasileira de Ciências Mecânicas, 1, 212-217 (1997), Proceedings of ICONE - Second International Conference,

Águas de São Pedro, SP, Brazil,1996.

 

“Hopf bifurcation and scale law in a dripping faucet.”

J.      G. M. da Silva, R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, and J. C. Sartorelli.

Non-linear Dynamics, Chaos, Control and their Applications in Engineering Sciences, American Academy of Mechanics and Associação Brasileira de Ciências Mecânicas, 1, 195-200 (1997), Proceedings of ICONE - Second International Conference,

Águas de São Pedro, SP, Brazil, 1996.

 

“Complex behavior in a leaky faucet experiment.”

R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, J. G. M. da Silva, A. Tufaile, and J. C. Sartorelli.

Workshop on complex systems 1996, Brasília, DF, Brazil.

 

 

Participation in national conferences:

 

“Nonlinear Dynamics of Information in Biologycal Neural Networks.”

R. D. Pinto, A. Szücs, H. D. I. Abarbanel, M. I. Rabinovich, and A. I. Selverston.

XXIV Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada

May 15-19, 2001, São Lourenço - MG

 

“The role of dynamical synapses in neural information processing.”

R. D. Pinto, M. I. Rabinovich, A. I. Selverston, and H. D. I. Abarbanel.

XXIV Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada

May 15-19, 2001, São Lourenço - MG

 

 “Homoclinic Chaos in the dripping faucet experiment.”

R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, and J. C. Sartorelli.

XXI Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada

June 2-6, 1998 - Caxambu, MG, Brazil.

 

“Numerical integration of bubbles and drops.”

A. Tufaile, W. M. Gonçalves, R. D. Pinto, and J. C. Sartorelli.

XXI Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada

June 2-6, 1998 - Caxambu, MG, Brazil.

 

“Chaotic Blue Sky catastrophe in a dripping faucet experiment.”

R.  D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, and J. C. Sartorelli.

XXI Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada

June 2-6, 1998 - Caxambu, MG, Brazil.

 

“Henon-like attractors in the dripping faucet experiment.”

W. M. Gonçalves, R. D. Pinto, and J. C. Sartorelli.

XXI Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada

June 2-6, 1998 - Caxambu, MG, Brazil.

 

“Oscillating Flames.”

M. B. Reyes, J. C. Sartorelli, A. Tufaile, R. D. Pinto, and W. M. Gonçalves.

XXI Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada

June 2-6, 1998 - Caxambu, MG, Brazil.

 

“Is there Homoclinic Chaos in a dripping faucet experiment?”

R. D. Pinto, J. C. Sartorelli, M. S. Baptista, and I. L. Caldas.

XX Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada, 1997

Caxambu, MG, Brazil.

      

“Smooth transition to chaos in a dripping faucet experiment.”

R. D. Pinto, J. C. Sartorelli, T. J. P. Penna, and P. M. C. de Oliveira.

XX Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada, 1997

Caxambu, MG, Brazil.

 

“Torus breakup and Chaos in a dripping faucet experiment.”

R. D. Pinto, J. C. Sartorelli, M. S. Baptista, and I. L. Caldas.

XX Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada, 1997

Caxambu, MG, Brazil.

 

“Markovian Processes in a dripping faucet experiment.”

W. M. Gonçalves, J. C. Sartorelli, and R. D. Pinto.

XX Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada, 1997

Caxambu, MG, Brazil.

 

“Similarities Between Leaky Faucets and Hearts.”

A. R. Lima, T. J. P. Penna, P. M. C. de Oliveira, J. C. Sartorelli, W. M. Gonçalves, and R. D. Pinto.

XX Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada, 1997

Caxambu, MG, Brazil.

 

“Complex behavior in a dripping faucet experiment.”

R.  D. Pinto, J. G. M. da Silva, and J. C. Sartorelli.

XX Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada, 1996

Águas de Lindóia, SP, Brazil;

      

“Measurement of successive time events using a data acquisition system developed for an IBM-PC.”

R. D. Pinto and J. C. Sartorelli.

XX Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada, 1996

Águas de Lindóia, SP, Brazil;

 

“Simulation of big dripping faucets.”

A. R. de Lima, T. J. P. Penna, P. M. C. de Oliveira, J. C. Sartorelli, W. M. Gonçalves, and R. D. Pinto.

XX Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada, 1996

Águas de Lindóia, SP, Brazil;

 

“Crisis and Hysteresis in a Dripping Faucet Experiment”

R. D. Pinto, J. G. M. da Silva, W. M. Gonçalves, and J. C. Sartorelli.

IV Encontro Brasileiro de Física de Plasmas,

Águas de Lindóia, SP, Brazil, 1996;

 

“Critical behavior in a leaky faucet experiment”

R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, A. Tufaile, J. C. Sartorelli, T. J. P. Penna, and P. M. C. de Oliveira.

III Encontro Brasileiro de Física de Plasmas,

Águas de Lindóia, SP, Brazil, 1995;    

 

“A study of the water drop formation by video images”

M.S. F. da Rocha, J. C. Sartorelli, W. M. Gonçalves, and R. D. Pinto.  

III Encontro Brasileiro de Física de Plasmas,

Águas de Lindóia, SP, Brazil, 1995;      

 

“Determination of embedding dimension of complex data set of dripping faucet  experiment with the method of false nearest neighbors”

J. G. M. da Silva, R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, A. Tufaile, and J. C. Sartorelli.

III Encontro Brasileiro de Física de Plasmas,

Águas de Lindóia, SP, Brazil, 1995;

 

“Combination of logistic maps. A way to model the dripping water?”

A.Tufaile, R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, and J. C. Sartorelli.

III Encontro Brasileiro de Física de Plasmas,

Águas de Lindóia, SP, Brazil, 1995;

 

“Dynamics of formation of multiple drops at high dripping rates.”

A. Tufaile, R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, and J. C. Sartorelli.

XVIII Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada,

Caxambu, MG, Brazil, 1995.

 

“Using algorithms to characterize chaotic data series from a dripping faucet experiment.”

J. G. M. da Silva, J. C. Sartorelli, W. M. Gonçalves, and R. D. Pinto.

XVIII Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada,

Caxambu, MG, Brazil,1995;

 

“Study of water drops formation as a function of the water column.”

R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, and J. C. Sartorelli.

XVIII Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada,

Caxambu, MG, Brazil, 1995;

    

“Role of the shape of the nozzle in a dripping faucet experiment.”

W. M. Gonçalves, R. D. Pinto, and J. C. Sartorelli.

XVIII Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada,

Caxambu, MG, Brazil, 1995;

           

“Determining the time evolution of water drops formation.”

M. S. F. da Rocha, J. C. Sartorelli, W. M. Gonçalves, and R. D. Pinto.

XVIII Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada,

Caxambu, MG, Brazil, 1995;

 

“Periodic and quasi-periodic regimes in a dripping faucet experiment.”

R. D. Pinto, J. C. Sartorelli, M. J. de Oliveira, and W. M. Gonçalves.

XVII Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada,

Caxambu, MG, Brazil, 1994;

 

“Study of periodic and quasi-periodic regimes in a dripping faucet experiment using the correlation dimension.”

J. G. M. da Silva, J. C. Sartorelli, W. M. Gonçalves, and R. D. Pinto.

XVII Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada,

Caxambu, MG, Brazil, 1994;

 

“Sudden changes in chaotic regimes in a leaky faucet experiment”

J. C. Sartorelli, W. M. Gonçalves, and R. D. Pinto.

II Encontro Brasileiro de Física de Plasmas,

Serra Negra, SP, Brazil, 1993;

“Converting an ADC from Apple to IBM-PC.”

R. D. Pinto, W. M. Gonçalves, M. C. S. Rosa, and J. C. Sartorelli.

XVI Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada,

Caxambu, MG, Brazil, 1992;

 

“The dripping faucet experiment.”

W. M. Gonçalves, R. D. Pinto, and J. C. Sartorelli.

XIV Encontro Nacional de Física da Matéria Condensada,

Caxambu, MG, Brazil, 1991.

 

 

        ____________________________________

 

                                                                                            Reynaldo Daniel Pinto

                                                                                         São Paulo, March 22nd, 2002