This article presents some key researchers and theories that open the way for new types of research in translatology using a cognitive approach: Spinoza in philosophy, Damasio and Edelman in neurosciences, the 'Gestalt' and the work of Lakoff, Talmy and Fauconnier in cognitive semantics. The main concepts are placed within the cognitive science framework and the author explains why they are important for the practice of translation as well as in research. A few results taken from the author's work on conceptualisation modes in biomedicine illustrate the proposed approach.