Bhismadev Chakrabarti

University of Cambridge, Autism Research Institute, Institut des Sciences Cognitives Marc Jeannerod

Papers

Total Citations

438

H-Index

About

Bhismadev Chakrabarti is a cognitive neuroscientist and psychologist whose research sits at the intersection of social cognition, empathy, and autism spectrum conditions. Best known for his pioneering investigations into human-robot interaction, Chakrabarti has made significant contributions to understanding how people extend empathic responses across the anthropomorphic spectrum — from clearly mechanical robots to near-human androids. His landmark 2009 study, "How Anthropomorphism Affects Empathy Toward Robots," has accumulated over 300 citations and remains a foundational reference in social robotics, revealing how human-likeness in robots meaningfully shapes our emotional responses to them. Beyond robotics, Chakrabarti has explored the social reward mechanisms underlying autism spectrum conditions, examining how autistic traits modulate mimicry and responsiveness to social stimuli such as smiles. This work offers important insights into the cascade of social developmental differences observed in autism. His broader scholarship bridges typical and atypical human cognition with robotic systems, fostering a richer understanding of what makes social interaction fundamentally human. Chakrabarti's research has proven valuable to roboticists, clinicians, and developmental psychologists alike, establishing him as a thoughtful and cross-disciplinary voice in the science of social behavior.