Theresa Desrochers.

Theresa Desrochers

Rosenberg Family Assistant Professor of Brain Science
Brown University

Theresa Desrochers is Rosenberg Family Assistant Professor of Brain Science in the neuroscience department at Brown University. Her lab studies how the brain tracks and controls cognitive and behavioral sequences, such as cooking a meal or making a cup of coffee. In her research, she takes a unique cross-species approach, integrating cellular-level neuroscience insight in animal models with studies of human high-level cognitive function.

She earned a B.S. in neural science and science education from New York University. After teaching science in a public high school for a year, she went on to earn her Ph.D. in Ann Graybiel’s lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, studying the neural basis of habit learning in an animal model. She was then a postdoctoral fellow with David Badre at Brown University, where she studied human cognitive control.

Explore more from The Transmitter

Neurons in cerebral organoids containing a MECP2 variant (right panel) have smaller cell bodies and fewer branches than those in wildtype organoids (left panel).

Autism in Kenya, organoid research, and more

Here is a roundup of autism-related news and research spotted around the web for the week of 22 December.

By Jill Adams
23 December 2025 | 2 min read
Research image of the human dorsal root ganglion.

‘Unprecedented’ dorsal root ganglion atlas captures 22 types of human sensory neurons

The atlas also offers up molecular and cellular targets for new pain therapies.

By Calli McMurray
23 December 2025 | 5 min read
Illustration of a simple circuit.

Not playing around: Why neuroscience needs toy models

Amid the rise of billion-parameter models, I argue that toy models, with just a few neurons, remain essential—and may be all neuroscience needs.

By Marcus Ghosh
22 December 2025 | 6 min read

privacy consent banner

Privacy Preference

We use cookies to provide you with the best online experience. By clicking “Accept All,” you help us understand how our site is used and enhance its performance. You can change your choice at any time. To learn more, please visit our Privacy Policy.