Cannabis and the brain: the good, the bad and the unknown. Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug but much remains unknown about how it affects the brain. This research will examine effects on brain cells through to whole brain function in humans to determine how cannabis use may lead to impaired thinking or psychological symptoms and why cannabis might affect individuals in different ways.
A computational and experimental investigation into the organisation of letters in reading. In alphabetical languages, people need to learn to organise individual letters into groups so that they can read efficiently. This project will develop a model of this process, which will allow great insight into this key aspect of reading in terms of what the most efficient way of doing this is and what may go wrong and cause reading problems.
Elucidating the neural pathways and genetic basis of speech. The project will elucidate the biological basis of speech, a unique feature of the human condition. The project will do this by i) discovering genes associated with speech disorder and ii) defining the neural pathways associated with speech production. This study will address critical questions regarding gene, brain and behaviour relationships in speech.
ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function. The Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function will address one of the greatest scientific challenges of the 21st century to understand how the brain works. We will investigate complex functions such as attention, prediction and decision-making, which require the coordination of information processing by many areas of the brain. This will require a highly collaborative approach involving neurobiologists, cognitive scientists, eng ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function. The Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function will address one of the greatest scientific challenges of the 21st century to understand how the brain works. We will investigate complex functions such as attention, prediction and decision-making, which require the coordination of information processing by many areas of the brain. This will require a highly collaborative approach involving neurobiologists, cognitive scientists, engineers and physicists, allowing us to translate our discoveries into novel technologies for the social and economic benefit of all Australians. We will also train a new generation of multidisciplinary researchers, and contribute our expertise to a range of public education and awareness programs.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100128
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,000.00
Summary
Information processing in the brain. This project aims to understand the brain's functional organisation by developing non-invasive methods to characterise connectivity between interacting brain regions. No model-based methods to compute directional coupling between brain regions can be applied to large scale networks for resting state functional MRI data. This capability would be a major breakthrough in neuroimaging, given uninformative (non-directional) network connectivity analysis restricts ....Information processing in the brain. This project aims to understand the brain's functional organisation by developing non-invasive methods to characterise connectivity between interacting brain regions. No model-based methods to compute directional coupling between brain regions can be applied to large scale networks for resting state functional MRI data. This capability would be a major breakthrough in neuroimaging, given uninformative (non-directional) network connectivity analysis restricts research. This project is expected to advance our understanding of information processing in the brain by providing a mechanistic approach to functional integration.Read moreRead less
Elucidating the neural pathways and genetic basis of speech. The project will elucidate the biological basis of speech, a unique feature of the human condition. The project will do this by i) discovering genes associated with speech disorder and ii) defining the neural pathways associated with speech production. This study will address critical questions regarding gene, brain and behaviour relationships in speech.
Multimodal testing for a fast subcortical route for salient visual stimuli. This project aims to uncover links between underlying brain circuitry, uncertainty and consciousness, and perceptions of fear. The project will use a multi-modal combination of brain imaging and neural recording techniques to generate new knowledge about the brain’s processing of biologically relevant information. The expected outcomes will enhance our knowledge of how the brain rapidly and non-consciously prepares the ....Multimodal testing for a fast subcortical route for salient visual stimuli. This project aims to uncover links between underlying brain circuitry, uncertainty and consciousness, and perceptions of fear. The project will use a multi-modal combination of brain imaging and neural recording techniques to generate new knowledge about the brain’s processing of biologically relevant information. The expected outcomes will enhance our knowledge of how the brain rapidly and non-consciously prepares the body for potential escape behaviours and of the brain pathways engaged in fear perception. The outcomes have the potential to inform strategies for overcoming anxiety and its effects on daily life, social interactions and workplace productivity.Read moreRead less
What is the functional significance of mirror neurons? Contrasting the adaptation and association models of the mirror neuron system. Mirror neurons are a type of brain cell that are thought to underlie empathy and cause autism. Alternatively, however, mirror neurons might instead arise from repeated associations between what we see and what we do. This study uses brain stimulation and neuroimaging techniques to determine the function of mirror neurons.
Neural network underlying memory erasure. Memory expression can easily be reduced through the process of extinction, which involves repeated presentations of cues involved in that memory but without any outcome. In adult animals (including humans), it is widely accepted that extinction leads to a temporary inhibition of the original memory that remains largely unaltered. Remarkably, extinction causes erasure in juvenile rodents so that the original memory is permanently reduced. This is because ....Neural network underlying memory erasure. Memory expression can easily be reduced through the process of extinction, which involves repeated presentations of cues involved in that memory but without any outcome. In adult animals (including humans), it is widely accepted that extinction leads to a temporary inhibition of the original memory that remains largely unaltered. Remarkably, extinction causes erasure in juvenile rodents so that the original memory is permanently reduced. This is because the normal maturational changes in the brain result in fundamental developmental differences in the neural network underlying extinction. This project aims to map out this network across life, and also to reproduce the juvenile network in adult rats to erase memories via extinction in adulthood.Read moreRead less
Schizophrenia is classified among the world’s top ten enduring disabilities. Hearing voices are a profound and distressing symptom, which have proven difficult to successfully treat. We plan to use the latest brain imaging techniques and genetic testing to develop the most comprehensive understanding of hearing for voices to date. These data are vital to the development of novel tailored treatment for patients who hear voices.