Daniel Cardozo Pinto

Daniel Cardozo Pinto is a Junior Fellow in the Harvard Society of Fellows, collaborating with Prof. Naoshige Uchida's lab in the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at Harvard University. His research investigates neural mechanisms of learning and their dysfunction in psychiatric diseases, with pioneering work on dopamine-serotonin interactions in reward processing.

His academic background includes:

• Ph.D. in Neurosciences from Stanford University (2023), advised by Prof. Robert Malenka in collaboration with Prof. Neir Eshel
• B.A. in Molecular & Cell Biology and Psychology from UC Berkeley (2017), with Prof. Stephan Lammel

Cardozo Pinto's research centers on neuromodulatory systems, particularly how dopamine and serotonin form opponent processes governing learning, decision-making, and social behavior. His work reveals fundamental organizational principles of these neurotransmitter systems and their roles in autism spectrum disorder and addiction, employing advanced techniques to dissect circuit-level mechanisms in psychiatric disease models.

His publication record demonstrates a consistent focus on neuromodulation's role in behavioral control, with recent work establishing a 'gas-brake' framework for reward processing in the mammalian brain. These studies bridge molecular neuroscience with computational approaches to explain how imbalances in neuromodulatory signaling contribute to psychiatric pathophysiology.

Key recognitions include:

• I.L. Chaikoff Award for excellence in neurobiology (UC Berkeley)
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
• Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellowship
• Best poster award (Dopamine Society)
• Weintraub Award for exceptional graduate achievement

Supported by competitive fellowships including NSF GRFP and HHMI Gilliam, his work emerges from sustained collaboration across elite neuroscience laboratories. He maintains active research partnerships with the Uchida Lab at Harvard, Malenka Lab at Stanford, and Lammel Lab at UC Berkeley, forming a cohesive network for investigating neuromodulatory systems across multiple experimental paradigms.

Currently based in the Uchida Lab within Harvard's Department of Molecular and Cell Biology, Cardozo Pinto continues to pioneer methods for studying neuromodulation while expanding investigations into neuropeptide interactions and their therapeutic implications for psychiatric disorders.