Rebecca Saxe’s work addresses the human brain’s capacity for abstract thought and the origins of ‘theory of mind,’ the ability to understand the beliefs, hopes and plans of other people.
Rebecca Saxe
Professor
Massachussetts Institute of Technology
From this contributor
U.S. agency backtracks on broad interpretation of ‘clinical trial’
Autism researchers need no longer worry that their basic research will become entangled in the red tape associated with clinical trials.
U.S. agency backtracks on broad interpretation of ‘clinical trial’
By
Hannah Furfaro
6 February 2018 | 6 min read
1985 paper on the theory of mind
In 1985, Simon Baron-Cohen, Alan Leslie and Uta Frith reported for the first time that children with autism systematically fail the false belief task.
Explore more from The Transmitter
What leeches reveal about movement
Lidia Szczupak turned to the animals to explore how the nervous system coordinates movement.
What leeches reveal about movement
Lidia Szczupak turned to the animals to explore how the nervous system coordinates movement.
By
Claudia López Lloreda
27 August 2026 | 6 min read
Rising star: Lucia Peixoto, breaking down the interplay between sleep and autism
The young researcher from Uruguay uses her expertise in genetics — and discipline as a former athlete — to untangle sleep's role in neurodevelopmental conditions, one experiment at a time.
Rising star: Lucia Peixoto, breaking down the interplay between sleep and autism
The young researcher from Uruguay uses her expertise in genetics — and discipline as a former athlete — to untangle sleep's role in neurodevelopmental conditions, one experiment at a time.
By
Angie Voyles Askham
27 August 2026 | 10 min read
The big idea with Diego Bohórquez
His theories around the neuropod have challenged the boundaries of classic ideas regarding gut-brain communication.
The big idea with Diego Bohórquez
His theories around the neuropod have challenged the boundaries of classic ideas regarding gut-brain communication.
By
Sydney Wyatt
27 August 2026 | 12 min read