Rodrigo Manríquez Peralta

About me

I am originally from Chile and received my BS and MSc degrees in Electronic Engineering from Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María in Valparaíso, Chile, in 2018. My MSc thesis focused on the mathematical modeling of intrinsic laryngeal muscular activity and analyzing its impact on numerical models of vocal fold vibration. My current research involves using AI and deep neural networks to characterize and understand how humans and other animal species time their vocal exchanges.

Research

My research focuses on using AI and deep neural networks to understand the cognitive mechanisms involved in rhythm processing at the brain level. To achieve this, I employ Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs) and representation learning to construct models that can represent rhythm by analyzing diverse auditory rhythm datasets, including animal vocalizations and music. Furthermore, by using these models interactively, we aim to mimic how different species use rhythm in group communication. Ultimately, we aim to identify how rhythmic entrainment impacts interactive communication between humans and specific animal species. This work is supported by the FWO project Interactive Vocal Rhythms [G034720N].

Keywords

Deep Learning, Spiking Neural Networks, Computational Neuroscience, Rhythmic entrainment, Signal Processing

Methods

  • Voice measures
  • Computational modelling
  • Matlab
  • PRAAT
  • Python (Tensorflow, Pytorch, Parselmouth)

Qualifications and Professional Experience

  • January 2022 – Current: PhD Candidate at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Brussels, Belgium) and Maastricht University (Maastricht, The Netherlands)
  • November 2018 – December 2021: Research Engineer at Voice Production Lab at Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
  • August 2017 – November 2018: Research Assistant at Voice Production Lab at Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
  • January 2011 – July 2017: Teaching Assistant in Physics at Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
  • March 2016 – November 2018: Master in Electronics Engineering at Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile
  • March 2009 – November 2018: Electronics Engineering at Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Valparaíso, Chile