Jaime A. Pineda, Ph.D. is Professor Emeritus of Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, and Psychiatry at the University of California, San Diego. For 33 years, he directed the Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory where he explored the relationship between mind and brain. He is the author of many widely cited papers in animal and human cognitive and systems neuroscience. He is the editor of the academic book, Mirror Neurons, and author of The Social Impulse: The Evolution and Neuroscience of What Brings Us Together.

For over thirty years, he has also been interested in contemplative practices and has published two books of poetry: Quieting of a Mind and Dawning of a New Mind. More recently, he completed his autobiography, Piercing the Cloud: Encountering the Real Me. His latest book is Controlling Mental Chaos: Harnessing the Power of the Creative Mind. Professor Pineda resides in San Diego, California with his wife Jane and dog Darcy.