Ageing drivers: Cognitive ageing and technology. This project aims to enhance our understanding of whether cognitive changes associated with ageing impacts older drivers' use of emerging vehicle automation and assistive technologies. Through analysis of insurance claims databases, a large consumer survey and a naturalistic driving study, evidence will be obtained on how ageing and cognition interact with assistive technology. Findings will inform older drivers, government policy makers and indus ....Ageing drivers: Cognitive ageing and technology. This project aims to enhance our understanding of whether cognitive changes associated with ageing impacts older drivers' use of emerging vehicle automation and assistive technologies. Through analysis of insurance claims databases, a large consumer survey and a naturalistic driving study, evidence will be obtained on how ageing and cognition interact with assistive technology. Findings will inform older drivers, government policy makers and industry on ageing, cognitive changes and the use of assistive technology in vehicles. This will provide benefits for older drivers by promoting optimal driving which will enhance social engagement as well as safety. Read moreRead less
Human hippocampus subregions organisation and associative memory processes. This proposal will investigate the hippocampus, a highly inter-connected structure containing many subregions. Although considered the memory centre of the brain, we still do not know the exact roles of these subregions during memory processes. Using novel brain neuroimaging acquisition methods and analyses, this project aims to map the internal structure and functions of the hippocampus and its functional networks under ....Human hippocampus subregions organisation and associative memory processes. This proposal will investigate the hippocampus, a highly inter-connected structure containing many subregions. Although considered the memory centre of the brain, we still do not know the exact roles of these subregions during memory processes. Using novel brain neuroimaging acquisition methods and analyses, this project aims to map the internal structure and functions of the hippocampus and its functional networks under different memory conditions and how these functions change with age. The intended outcome of this proposal is to provide the foundations for the first integrated model of human memory and its biological basis and to generate a benchmark against which future development of memory interventions and retraining can be measured.Read moreRead less
Charting age-related changes in the quality of episodic memory. As we get older, our capacity to remember events in rich detail becomes less efficient. The mechanisms driving these changes remain unclear, severely limiting our capacity to accurately assess and optimise memory function in later years. This project aims to determine how memory accuracy and memory quality change across the adult lifespan using cutting-edge experimental and neuroimaging techniques. It will deliver new insights into ....Charting age-related changes in the quality of episodic memory. As we get older, our capacity to remember events in rich detail becomes less efficient. The mechanisms driving these changes remain unclear, severely limiting our capacity to accurately assess and optimise memory function in later years. This project aims to determine how memory accuracy and memory quality change across the adult lifespan using cutting-edge experimental and neuroimaging techniques. It will deliver new insights into the relationship between confidence, memory success and memory quality, and the underlying neural substrates of these processes. This work will provide the essential empirical foundation to augment memory function, ensuring that older adults can continue to participate as active members of society.Read moreRead less
Spatiotemporal signatures of learning in brain reward systems. Learning to strengthen behaviours that secure resources and warrant survival is one of the primary functions of the brain. This Project seeks to establish the rules that govern the integration of learning in brain reward systems by studying how neuronal circuits change their molecular signatures as animals assimilate new knowledge. These studies will combine novel experimental designs to investigate learning with multidisciplinary me ....Spatiotemporal signatures of learning in brain reward systems. Learning to strengthen behaviours that secure resources and warrant survival is one of the primary functions of the brain. This Project seeks to establish the rules that govern the integration of learning in brain reward systems by studying how neuronal circuits change their molecular signatures as animals assimilate new knowledge. These studies will combine novel experimental designs to investigate learning with multidisciplinary methods for mapping, recording and functionalising teaching signals in behaving mice. The outcomes will create a significant shift in our understanding of the neural bases that underlie reward learning, and will critically expand the field by providing a new model of learning integration in brain systems.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of memory integration in brain systems. Learning from our interactions with the environment is one of the brain’s most important functions, yet how and where this process takes place at the neural network level has proven difficult to establish. This Project seeks to investigate how major neuromodulatory signals in the brain coordinate the encoding of reward-based learning in large ensembles of neurons. These studies will combine novel behavioural paradigms with the most recent neuros ....Mechanisms of memory integration in brain systems. Learning from our interactions with the environment is one of the brain’s most important functions, yet how and where this process takes place at the neural network level has proven difficult to establish. This Project seeks to investigate how major neuromodulatory signals in the brain coordinate the encoding of reward-based learning in large ensembles of neurons. These studies will combine novel behavioural paradigms with the most recent neuroscience techniques for functional mapping and manipulation of specific neural circuits in behaving mice. The outcomes of this research will lead to a significant shift in our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the integration of learning in brain systems and its implications for behaviour.Read moreRead less
Dissecting the Brain Circuitry Shaping Fear Regulation Across Development. Adolescence is an important time when individuals learn to manage stress-related emotions like fear. This project aims to understand how maturational changes in the prefrontal cortex of the brain hinder adolescents when learning to reduce reactivity to threats. It aims to do so by dissecting the brain circuitry shaping learning, memory, and emotional regulation across pre-adolescence, adolescence, and adulthood. The proje ....Dissecting the Brain Circuitry Shaping Fear Regulation Across Development. Adolescence is an important time when individuals learn to manage stress-related emotions like fear. This project aims to understand how maturational changes in the prefrontal cortex of the brain hinder adolescents when learning to reduce reactivity to threats. It aims to do so by dissecting the brain circuitry shaping learning, memory, and emotional regulation across pre-adolescence, adolescence, and adulthood. The project expects to generate new knowledge about why developmental changes in the brain are necessary for mature forms of learning and memory. The expected outcomes of this project include a significantly richer knowledge of the developing brain, which will ultimately inform approaches for improving emotion regulation in youth.Read moreRead less
Understanding biological pathways underlying social behaviour in humans. This project aims to show for the first time how oxytocin interacts with neural social and reward pathways to guide social behaviour. Oxytocin is a natural neuropeptide and hormone that has a critical role in the regulation of social behaviour across mammalian species. In animals, direct evidence demonstrates how endogenous and exogenous oxytocin interacts with social and reward neural pathways to alter social behaviour, in ....Understanding biological pathways underlying social behaviour in humans. This project aims to show for the first time how oxytocin interacts with neural social and reward pathways to guide social behaviour. Oxytocin is a natural neuropeptide and hormone that has a critical role in the regulation of social behaviour across mammalian species. In animals, direct evidence demonstrates how endogenous and exogenous oxytocin interacts with social and reward neural pathways to alter social behaviour, including social recognition, relationship formation, and long-term bonds. The project intends to use radio-labelling techniques in combination with positron emission tomography to track oxytocin and show what regions of the brain oxytocin impacts to then influence social cognition and behaviour in humans.Read moreRead less
Novel dopamine pathways underlying motivated behaviours. Rewards such as food, sex and social media are seeked on daily basis. Neurological and psychological basis of learning and memory of reward processing behaviour. This project maps real time neural activity during reward processing in two novel brain regions. It has the potential to revolutionize the understanding of the brain mechanisms in reward processing. The biological data obtained can be directly integrated into computational modelli ....Novel dopamine pathways underlying motivated behaviours. Rewards such as food, sex and social media are seeked on daily basis. Neurological and psychological basis of learning and memory of reward processing behaviour. This project maps real time neural activity during reward processing in two novel brain regions. It has the potential to revolutionize the understanding of the brain mechanisms in reward processing. The biological data obtained can be directly integrated into computational modelling approaches to benefit reward processing algorithms for learning behaviours in humans or artificial intelligence. This project will fuel the understanding of algorithms driving social media platforms and consumer consumption, hence driving economic and technological progress in Australia.Read moreRead less
Does nicotine make memories stronger? . This project studies why memories encoded in the presence of nicotine are stronger and longer lasting than other types of memories. Its goal is to use an innovative interdisciplinary approach, including sophisticated behavioural analysis and advanced genetic tools, to show that nicotine ‘switches on’ genes that are important for long-term memory formation. The anticipated outcome is an improved understanding of basic memory consolidation processes and how ....Does nicotine make memories stronger? . This project studies why memories encoded in the presence of nicotine are stronger and longer lasting than other types of memories. Its goal is to use an innovative interdisciplinary approach, including sophisticated behavioural analysis and advanced genetic tools, to show that nicotine ‘switches on’ genes that are important for long-term memory formation. The anticipated outcome is an improved understanding of basic memory consolidation processes and how they are influenced by nicotine. It is expected that this outcome will provide new insights into the persistence of cravings in tobacco dependence, and a novel perspective on epigenetic modifications that influence memory consolidation processes.Read moreRead less
Impacts of diet on the brain, body, and microbiome. Dietary habits determine cognitive function, metabolism and the composition of the gut microbiome. This project seeks to clarify the role of the gut microbiome in diet-induced changes to cognition. It aims to do so through longitudinal studies of cognitive function in which dietary patterns are systematically varied, and intervention studies where cognition is tested after experimentally manipulating the gut microbiome. Expected outcomes inclu ....Impacts of diet on the brain, body, and microbiome. Dietary habits determine cognitive function, metabolism and the composition of the gut microbiome. This project seeks to clarify the role of the gut microbiome in diet-induced changes to cognition. It aims to do so through longitudinal studies of cognitive function in which dietary patterns are systematically varied, and intervention studies where cognition is tested after experimentally manipulating the gut microbiome. Expected outcomes include new interdisciplinary knowledge spanning psychology, neuroscience, nutrition and metabolism. This project is timely given the enormous shifts in Australian dietary choices. The knowledge to be gained should provide benefits to individual and public health, agriculture, and food systems.Read moreRead less