Neural plasticity in older adult human vision. This project aims to expand our understanding of age related changes in brain function, specifically plasticity. The project will increase knowledge of the role of an inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA in visual plasticity. Expected outcomes include new knowledge regarding the regulation of brain function in adulthood, enabling future research and planning for societal benefit to older Australia.
How the brain generates robust behaviour in noisy sensory environments. This project aims to investigate the origins of variability in the control of movements. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of sensory and motor neuroscience by determining how variability in the activity of sensory and motor neurons accounts for variability in the initiation and control of eye movements. Expected outcomes of this project include international collaboration, development of new methods ....How the brain generates robust behaviour in noisy sensory environments. This project aims to investigate the origins of variability in the control of movements. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of sensory and motor neuroscience by determining how variability in the activity of sensory and motor neurons accounts for variability in the initiation and control of eye movements. Expected outcomes of this project include international collaboration, development of new methods for imaging neural activity in vivo, and refinement of theories concerning the cause and implications of noise in the brain. This should provide significant benefits such as a better understanding of why our movements are variable, and whether it is desirable or possible to minimise this variability. Read moreRead less
Novel mechanisms for regulating the retinal vasculature. Tight control of the retinal vasculature is crucial for maintaining normal vision. Unlike most blood vessels in the body, those in the retina and brain receive no direct neural control. Rather they rely on support cells to communicate the needs of neurons. This project aims to examine the mechanisms by which resident immune cells, called microglia, regulate retinal capillaries in response to neural activity. New knowledge examining a novel ....Novel mechanisms for regulating the retinal vasculature. Tight control of the retinal vasculature is crucial for maintaining normal vision. Unlike most blood vessels in the body, those in the retina and brain receive no direct neural control. Rather they rely on support cells to communicate the needs of neurons. This project aims to examine the mechanisms by which resident immune cells, called microglia, regulate retinal capillaries in response to neural activity. New knowledge examining a novel mechanism will be generated. This information is crucial for enhancing our understanding of how blood vessels are controlled in the retina and brain and will guide the development of novel ways of examining blood vessel function.Read moreRead less
Stomatopods v Cephalopods: discovery from an information coding arms-race. This proposal aims to unlock the power of a 400 million year old evolutionary arms race between two of earth's most successful predators, cephalopods (e.g. octopus) and mantis shrimp (stomatopods). New knowledge in vision (sensor design), neural coding (circuits and information flow) and behavioural (decisions and actions) innovations from these two groups will have fundamental and applied outcomes. The interdisciplinary ....Stomatopods v Cephalopods: discovery from an information coding arms-race. This proposal aims to unlock the power of a 400 million year old evolutionary arms race between two of earth's most successful predators, cephalopods (e.g. octopus) and mantis shrimp (stomatopods). New knowledge in vision (sensor design), neural coding (circuits and information flow) and behavioural (decisions and actions) innovations from these two groups will have fundamental and applied outcomes. The interdisciplinary and comparative nature of the project aims to amplify outcomes in questions of efficient neural coding, optical design and bio-inspired solutions. Benefits from the study include GPS-free navigation in marine engineering and rapid exposure of research results to millions of people through existing communication programs. Read moreRead less
The role of spike patterning in shaping human perception of tactile stimuli. Every touch sensation from our fingertips is conveyed to the brain through the nerves by means of electrical impulses similar to any digital device. Using unique technology developed in our lab we can intercept this neural communication and insert our own messages to test how these signals are interpreted and converted into perceptual experiences. We aim to reveal the rules by which timing of neural signal patterns shap ....The role of spike patterning in shaping human perception of tactile stimuli. Every touch sensation from our fingertips is conveyed to the brain through the nerves by means of electrical impulses similar to any digital device. Using unique technology developed in our lab we can intercept this neural communication and insert our own messages to test how these signals are interpreted and converted into perceptual experiences. We aim to reveal the rules by which timing of neural signal patterns shapes the perception of touch - specifically intensity and frequency of vibration. By recording signals from neurons and by testing human perception, we will learn about neural processing mechanisms. The new knowledge generated about sensory coding will be essential for rendering a virtual sense of touch.Read moreRead less
From gene to duty: the emergence of the complex brain. This project aims to determine the molecular code (genes and their products) responsible for the expansion of the nonhuman primate visual cortex, which underpins the formation of discrete functional and anatomical areas. The project will detail all the genes expressed at key stages of brain development and how interfering with their expression inhibits the normal formation of areas. The expected outcomes are a chronological and functional ma ....From gene to duty: the emergence of the complex brain. This project aims to determine the molecular code (genes and their products) responsible for the expansion of the nonhuman primate visual cortex, which underpins the formation of discrete functional and anatomical areas. The project will detail all the genes expressed at key stages of brain development and how interfering with their expression inhibits the normal formation of areas. The expected outcomes are a chronological and functional map of the molecular code that underpins the formation of the complex primate visual cortex. This will contribute to defining the mechanisms leading to the evolution of the complex primate visual brain and complement the numerous brain connectome studies being undertaken globally.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
From insects to robots: how brains make predictions and ignore distractions. This project aims to address fundamental questions in neuroscience and to integrate this biological understanding with the development of leading-edge robotics. Whether a human catching a ball or a dragonfly feeding in a swarm, brains have the remarkable ability to predict the future location of moving targets. The brain predicts in the presence of distractions and even if the target disappears, for example, when hidden ....From insects to robots: how brains make predictions and ignore distractions. This project aims to address fundamental questions in neuroscience and to integrate this biological understanding with the development of leading-edge robotics. Whether a human catching a ball or a dragonfly feeding in a swarm, brains have the remarkable ability to predict the future location of moving targets. The brain predicts in the presence of distractions and even if the target disappears, for example, when hidden behind another object. This project will investigate how brains use both environmental and internal information to select a target and predict its future location. By implementing bio-inspired computations in hardware, this project aims to provide significant benefits such as improving autonomous systems for defence, health and transportation.Read moreRead less
Target detection: neural networks, behaviour and biomimetic applications. This project aims to understand the neural and behavioural mechanisms that allow insects to efficiently detect moving targets in visual clutter, despite being equipped with small brains and low-resolution eyes. The project is expected to generate fundamental knowledge using a unique combination of quantitative behaviour, neurophysiology, pharmacological intervention and biomimetic modelling. Expected outcomes include an in ....Target detection: neural networks, behaviour and biomimetic applications. This project aims to understand the neural and behavioural mechanisms that allow insects to efficiently detect moving targets in visual clutter, despite being equipped with small brains and low-resolution eyes. The project is expected to generate fundamental knowledge using a unique combination of quantitative behaviour, neurophysiology, pharmacological intervention and biomimetic modelling. Expected outcomes include an increased understanding of neural mechanisms underlying sensory selectivity, the development of novel techniques, and enhanced capacity for interdisciplinary collaborations. The project will provide significant knowledge as the developed biomimetic algorithms should be applicable for increased performance in drones or other unmanned vehicles.Read moreRead less