Creating subject-specific mathematical models to understand the brain. This project aims to develop a mathematical framework that bridges the different scales of brain activities to provide a new tool for understanding the brain. Methods will be developed that unify individual neural activity with large scale brain activity. The approach will be validated by comparing predictions of interconnected models of neural populations (called mean-field models) to experimental data. The creation of subje ....Creating subject-specific mathematical models to understand the brain. This project aims to develop a mathematical framework that bridges the different scales of brain activities to provide a new tool for understanding the brain. Methods will be developed that unify individual neural activity with large scale brain activity. The approach will be validated by comparing predictions of interconnected models of neural populations (called mean-field models) to experimental data. The creation of subject-specific models from data is important, as there is large variability in neural circuits between individuals despite seemingly similar network activity. The intended outcome is new insights into the processes that govern brain function and methods for improving functional imaging of, and interfacing to, the brain.Read moreRead less
How calcium makes the heart grow. This project aims to develop a mathematical model of calcium signalling in heart cells to understand how calcium makes the heart grow. Our hearts grow to adapt to long-term changes, such as during development and in pregnancy or heart disease. Biochemical reactions involving calcium control the growth of heart cells and heart cells also use calcium signalling to trigger contraction with each beat. How calcium controls the heartbeat and regulates cell growth is u ....How calcium makes the heart grow. This project aims to develop a mathematical model of calcium signalling in heart cells to understand how calcium makes the heart grow. Our hearts grow to adapt to long-term changes, such as during development and in pregnancy or heart disease. Biochemical reactions involving calcium control the growth of heart cells and heart cells also use calcium signalling to trigger contraction with each beat. How calcium controls the heartbeat and regulates cell growth is unknown. This project will develop a new mathematical model of calcium signalling in heart cells to understand important cellular adaption processes. This knowledge will lead to the ability to independently control cellular pathways mediated by calcium, opening new avenues in biotechnology and biomedicine.Read moreRead less
Statistical Methods for Discovering Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) contributing to human diseases and phenotypes. Identifying the causative genetic factors involved in quantitative phenotypes and diseases is a major goal of biology in the 21st century and beyond. A crucial step towards this goal is identifying and classifying the functional non-protein-coding Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) encoded in the human genome. This project will make major contributions to international efforts in this area by identi ....Statistical Methods for Discovering Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) contributing to human diseases and phenotypes. Identifying the causative genetic factors involved in quantitative phenotypes and diseases is a major goal of biology in the 21st century and beyond. A crucial step towards this goal is identifying and classifying the functional non-protein-coding Ribonucleic acids (RNAs) encoded in the human genome. This project will make major contributions to international efforts in this area by identifying RNA molecules that contribute to quantitative phenotypes including susceptibility to disease. As such, it will directly benefit fundamental science via the discovery and classification of new molecules. Indirectly, it will lead to breakthroughs in biology, and consequently to major medical and pharmaceutical advances in the diagnosis and treatment of genetic disease.Read moreRead less
Maximizing Dimensional Efficiency With Minimal Cardinality Pattern Combinations. Making optimal use of dimensional capacity is often fundamental to the efficiency of processes in science and industry. Many important applications use combinations of patterns to achieve this. For example, in paper and in steel manufacturing, reels are divided lengthwise into cutting patterns, combined so as to minimize waste. In medicine, radiation patterns are combined to effectively treat cancerous tumours. ....Maximizing Dimensional Efficiency With Minimal Cardinality Pattern Combinations. Making optimal use of dimensional capacity is often fundamental to the efficiency of processes in science and industry. Many important applications use combinations of patterns to achieve this. For example, in paper and in steel manufacturing, reels are divided lengthwise into cutting patterns, combined so as to minimize waste. In medicine, radiation patterns are combined to effectively treat cancerous tumours. By addressing the common mathematical structure underlying pattern combination, this project will account for a hitherto neglected critical factor - the solution cardinality - making fully optimized solutions available for the first time to many applications in science and industry.Read moreRead less
Mathematical modelling in developmental biology. Modern observational techniques in biology and medicine generate a wealth of genetic and molecular detail. Mathematical modelling integrates and synthesises this information to provide insight into how complex biological processes are coupled to produce experimentally observed behaviour. Mathematical modelling generates experimentally testable predictions that can be used to verify the validity of the models. This program is dedicated to exciting ....Mathematical modelling in developmental biology. Modern observational techniques in biology and medicine generate a wealth of genetic and molecular detail. Mathematical modelling integrates and synthesises this information to provide insight into how complex biological processes are coupled to produce experimentally observed behaviour. Mathematical modelling generates experimentally testable predictions that can be used to verify the validity of the models. This program is dedicated to exciting opportunities for advancing our knowledge of normal and abnormal developmental processes, especially in embryonic growth. Understanding these processes will lead to prediction and treatment of congenital disorders and contribute to a healthy start to life. Read moreRead less
Performance Evaluation Methodologies for the Optical Internet. It will be important to Australia to be an early adopter of a next-generation Internet technology not only to ensure that the country retains its place in the world economic community of but also to ensure that its industries and citizens have access to new technologies. Techniques and methodologies emerging from this project will enable the design of Australia's future optical Internet.
The project will enable strategic decisions ....Performance Evaluation Methodologies for the Optical Internet. It will be important to Australia to be an early adopter of a next-generation Internet technology not only to ensure that the country retains its place in the world economic community of but also to ensure that its industries and citizens have access to new technologies. Techniques and methodologies emerging from this project will enable the design of Australia's future optical Internet.
The project will enable strategic decisions on the viability of new technologies, and as a result Australian service providers will have better and cheaper networks, and Australian users will enjoy better services at a lower cost.
The project will enhance the Australian knowledge base, skills base in the area of teletraffic and optical networking.
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Quantifying the adaptive immune response. The aim of this project is to develop mathematical models and computer software capable of predicting immune responses in infection and disease. The ability to predict immune responses should allow better vaccine design and better understanding of what causes the immune system to attack its own body, causing autoimmune disease, or fail to respond, causing immunodeficiency. The models and software will also be applicable to other areas of cell biology, ....Quantifying the adaptive immune response. The aim of this project is to develop mathematical models and computer software capable of predicting immune responses in infection and disease. The ability to predict immune responses should allow better vaccine design and better understanding of what causes the immune system to attack its own body, causing autoimmune disease, or fail to respond, causing immunodeficiency. The models and software will also be applicable to other areas of cell biology, such as describing growth and development. Thus, this project will lead to advances in understanding of fundamental biology, as well as potential improvements in treatments for a range of diseases.Read moreRead less
Hypergraph models for complex discrete systems. This project aims to better understand the structure and properties of very large hypergraphs of various kinds. Hypergraphs are very general mathematical objects which can be used to model complex discrete systems. They arise naturally in many areas such as ecology, chemistry and computer science. Despite this, our theoretical understanding of very large, or random, hypergraphs lags far behind the intensely-studied special case of graphs. This proj ....Hypergraph models for complex discrete systems. This project aims to better understand the structure and properties of very large hypergraphs of various kinds. Hypergraphs are very general mathematical objects which can be used to model complex discrete systems. They arise naturally in many areas such as ecology, chemistry and computer science. Despite this, our theoretical understanding of very large, or random, hypergraphs lags far behind the intensely-studied special case of graphs. This project will answer many fundamental questions about large, random hypergraphs. The expected outcomes of the project also include new tools for working with hypergraphs, such as efficient algorithms for sampling hypergraphs. These outcomes will benefit researchers who use hypergraphs in their work and will enhance Australia's reputation for research in this area.Read moreRead less
Building macroscale models from microscale probabilistic models. Spatial patterns arise in biological and physical processes. Understanding how local individual-based functions, such as movement and interactions between individuals, give rise to global spatial distributions and patterns in populations of individuals is generating much interest. Probabilistic agent-based models provide information about the movement of individuals, whereas continuum models provide information about the global pro ....Building macroscale models from microscale probabilistic models. Spatial patterns arise in biological and physical processes. Understanding how local individual-based functions, such as movement and interactions between individuals, give rise to global spatial distributions and patterns in populations of individuals is generating much interest. Probabilistic agent-based models provide information about the movement of individuals, whereas continuum models provide information about the global properties, such as spread of populations. This project will provide tools for determining the connection between the two types of models, thereby linking the behaviour on microscopic and macroscopic scales.Read moreRead less
Liquidity in financial markets. This project aims to develop a theory which models the effect of liquidity on option prices under different market conditions. Economic or financial crises are inevitable and affect economics. During or after a major financial crisis, market liquidity usually becomes risky and needs to be studied. Through both empirical and theoretical explorations, this project will quantify and measure liquidity risk and its effect on the options markets. It will develop a frame ....Liquidity in financial markets. This project aims to develop a theory which models the effect of liquidity on option prices under different market conditions. Economic or financial crises are inevitable and affect economics. During or after a major financial crisis, market liquidity usually becomes risky and needs to be studied. Through both empirical and theoretical explorations, this project will quantify and measure liquidity risk and its effect on the options markets. It will develop a framework to help market regulators manage illiquidity, enhance the efficiency of option trading in illiquid markets and help in the detection of market manipulation.Read moreRead less