Operation of nerve cell networks in the neocortex. In humans, intellectual disabilities occur when nerve cells in the neocortex, the most complicated area of the brain, fail to function correctly. The goal of this project is to understand how neocortical areas communicate and how changes in the structure of neurons disturb their function; work that will lead to a better understanding of the operation of the neocortex.
The processing of sensory information within cortical circuits. This project aims to improve our knowledge of neuronal activity during sensory perception and therefore shed light on overall brain function during behaviour. Understanding how dendrites receive and process this information is crucial to understanding brain function during sensory processing and perception. This proposal aims to characterise dendritic activity during sensory input and discover how this activity contributes to behavi ....The processing of sensory information within cortical circuits. This project aims to improve our knowledge of neuronal activity during sensory perception and therefore shed light on overall brain function during behaviour. Understanding how dendrites receive and process this information is crucial to understanding brain function during sensory processing and perception. This proposal aims to characterise dendritic activity during sensory input and discover how this activity contributes to behavioural tasks. In particular, the project plans to investigate activity of different dendritic domains during sensory perception and sensory-based behaviour. The project seeks to improve our knowledge of the importance of dendrites in transforming information from the sensory environment and highlight the cellular and network mechanisms contributing to behaviour.Read moreRead less
Beyond Neuroinflammation: The Role of Microglia in Synaptic Plasticity. Microglia are the immune cells of the brain and are known to respond to infectious and non-infectious insults to the nervous system. This project aims to use the transparent and genetically amenable brain of the zebrafish, to explore new functions of microglia at the single cell level in the intact, behaving animal, through visualization of cellular components of the brain (neurons, glia, microglia, blood vessels, synapses), ....Beyond Neuroinflammation: The Role of Microglia in Synaptic Plasticity. Microglia are the immune cells of the brain and are known to respond to infectious and non-infectious insults to the nervous system. This project aims to use the transparent and genetically amenable brain of the zebrafish, to explore new functions of microglia at the single cell level in the intact, behaving animal, through visualization of cellular components of the brain (neurons, glia, microglia, blood vessels, synapses), and through the genetic manipulation of synaptic density, and real time observation of microglia in the process.Read moreRead less
Microglia and the inflammation spectrum - not just good or bad. Cell-mediated tissue clearance following brain injury is a universal mechanism. However, our understanding of the cells that perform these tasks is very limited. Our project will characterise this inflammatory response at a single-cell level using the zebrafish spinal cord as a versatile experimental model. The project is expected to strongly contribute to the molecular understanding of the mechanisms underlying debris removal and w ....Microglia and the inflammation spectrum - not just good or bad. Cell-mediated tissue clearance following brain injury is a universal mechanism. However, our understanding of the cells that perform these tasks is very limited. Our project will characterise this inflammatory response at a single-cell level using the zebrafish spinal cord as a versatile experimental model. The project is expected to strongly contribute to the molecular understanding of the mechanisms underlying debris removal and will advance innovative technologies that facilitate intellectual progress in neuroscience. It will produce new insights into the process of neuronal degeneration, promote Australia’s growing reputation as a global leader in neuroscience, and provide high quality training for early career researchers.Read moreRead less
Coding of olfactory information in the piriform cortex. This project aims to understand how electrical activity in the primary olfactory (piriform) cortex enables mice to recognise and remember odours. By using optical recording techniques together with genetic tools, the project expects to generate new knowledge about how the mammalian brain builds internal representations of the external world. Specific outcomes of the project include new insights into the functional architecture of the pirifo ....Coding of olfactory information in the piriform cortex. This project aims to understand how electrical activity in the primary olfactory (piriform) cortex enables mice to recognise and remember odours. By using optical recording techniques together with genetic tools, the project expects to generate new knowledge about how the mammalian brain builds internal representations of the external world. Specific outcomes of the project include new insights into the functional architecture of the piriform cortex and fresh understanding of how olfactory information is encoded and stored in neural circuits. More broadly, the project aims to advance our understanding of how the brain works, with benefits for future improvements in artificial intelligence and brain-machine interfaces.Read moreRead less
Network activity and the role of NMDA receptors in associative learning. The brain is the most complex machine we know, and its activity shapes every aspect our lives. Studies over decades using tools from molecular and cellular neuroscience and behavioural experiments have discovered the parts of the brain involved in learning and memory formation. Much is understood about the neural circuits that mediate learning but how memories are formed and stored are not understood. The aim of this proj ....Network activity and the role of NMDA receptors in associative learning. The brain is the most complex machine we know, and its activity shapes every aspect our lives. Studies over decades using tools from molecular and cellular neuroscience and behavioural experiments have discovered the parts of the brain involved in learning and memory formation. Much is understood about the neural circuits that mediate learning but how memories are formed and stored are not understood. The aim of this project is to understand learning and memory formation using a simple Pavlovian learning paradigm, fear conditioning. Using cutting-edge molecular tools we will label the circuits in the amygdala that mediate this learning and the nature of the memory trace. In the long term, these results may drive novel storage devices.Read moreRead less
Neural mechanisms of attention in the honeybee and Drosophila melanogaster. By examining convergent neural mechanisms of attention in insects and comparing these mechanisms to those found in vertebrates, we may uncover basic principles of how attention operates in widely divergent systems. This type of basic scientific research could be used to provide a framework to develop better approaches for treatment for individuals with defects in attention. Such defects are symptoms of several psycholo ....Neural mechanisms of attention in the honeybee and Drosophila melanogaster. By examining convergent neural mechanisms of attention in insects and comparing these mechanisms to those found in vertebrates, we may uncover basic principles of how attention operates in widely divergent systems. This type of basic scientific research could be used to provide a framework to develop better approaches for treatment for individuals with defects in attention. Such defects are symptoms of several psychological conditions, including attention deficit disorder, autism, and schizophrenia, which have major social and economic costs in Australia. Therefore, by expanding our understanding of how attention operates at the level of neurons, we can begin to develop targeted treatments for addressing these conditions. Read moreRead less
Dendritic information processing during sensory-motor behaviour. The neocortex is centrally involved in the control of animal behaviour. It is largely unknown how neocortical neurons contribute to the neuronal computations that generate behaviour. The project will study how individual neurons in the neocortex compute the sensory and motor signals that underlie an important exploratory behaviour in rodents.
Assembly of neural circuits during development. This program aims to understand how nerve cells wire up accurately during development. Specifically, the program will determine how neuronal connections are established in the retina to produce a sensory structure essential for vision. The program will also generate innovative tools for watching in live animals, the making and breaking of connections during normal and abnormal development. Discoveries will not only significantly increase our knowle ....Assembly of neural circuits during development. This program aims to understand how nerve cells wire up accurately during development. Specifically, the program will determine how neuronal connections are established in the retina to produce a sensory structure essential for vision. The program will also generate innovative tools for watching in live animals, the making and breaking of connections during normal and abnormal development. Discoveries will not only significantly increase our knowledge base of how the nervous system develops or degenerates, but the results will provide crucial information for future studies based on genetic approaches, drug therapies and bioengineering technology to repair the injured nervous system.Read moreRead less