Ajay Satpute, assistant professor of psychology, remembers the first question he ever asked at an academic conference. “It was about the role of the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and theory of mind, basically mentalizing about other people,” he says.

For non-neuroscientists this question may seem opaque, but Satpute nevertheless cites the moment as foundational for him.

“It was just fascinating to see all these scientists present their latest and greatest work on stage,” he says. “It’s not just dusty bookshelves. It’s a real exciting opportunity to see the back and forth of question and answer, and you see a lot of people having to defend their work. It felt exciting.”

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Photo by Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University.