Ajay Satpute is director of the Affect and Brain Science (ABS) lab. His work focusses on computational models for relating mind, brain, and behavior in the areas of social and affective neuroscience. Dr. Satpute’s lab uses a combination of constructionist and predictive processing theories, machine learning and artificial intelligence approaches, behavioral experimental designs, and multimodal brain imaging assessments.
Publications
In The News
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News
Why Annabelle, Chucky and dolls in general creep us out
Do you know what that doll is doing when your back is turned? Northeastern University experts explain the ‘uncanny valley’ effect. -
Research
Afraid of spiders? Heights? Public speaking? They activate different parts of the brain, Northeastern research finds
A new paper from Northeastern University psychology professor Ajay Satpute’s lab upends previous understandings of how fear works in the mind. -
As president-elect of neuroscience society, Northeastern professor advocates for access to the scholarly community
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. -
Why would anyone travel 2½ miles deep into the ocean?
The price tag for the trip was reportedly $250,000. The accommodations were cramped, and the destination was roughly 2½ miles below the surface of the cold, remote North Atlantic. -
Why do we like to get scared at the movies? Horror movies and the science of fear
It’s not a coincidence that horror has thrived, creatively and financially during tumultuous times. The films themselves might not always directly represent the anxieties and fears of the time, but audiences still find some kind of solace in seeing fear put on screen. -
How do you know not to laugh at a funeral? This region of the brain is key.
The ability to evaluate your feelings can be an important tool for regulating your emotions. Northeastern researchers uncovered where this process happens in the brain in a new study. -
Celebrating our COS 2023 TIER1 Awardees
11 are faculty members of the College of Science are 2023 TIER1 Awardees. The TIER 1 Seed Grant/Proof of Concept Program awards are supported by the colleges and the Senior Vice Provost for Research. -
Millions of research papers are published in a year. How do scientists keep up?
Keeping up with the latest developments in their field is a challenge for researchers at all points of their careers, but it especially affects early-career scientists, as they also have to read the many papers that represent the foundation of their field. -
The ‘Murder Hornet’ Is Out to Get Bees, Not Humans. So Why Are People Still Freaking Out About It?
The arrival of the Asian giant hornet in the U.S. has sparked an outcry on social media, but entomologists say that people should not worry about the oversized wasps. Still, some people may be concerned, as the underlying nature of fear isn’t the same for everyone, says neuroscientist Ajay Satpute.