A new perspective on how we learn motor skills: two adaptation classes? The capacity to adapt and acquire movement skills is essential for success in almost every aspect of our lives. This project will test the idea that there are two fundamentally distinct classes of motor learning processes in the brain that are driven by different error types. Using brain recordings, robotic perturbation of movement, and novel variations of classical learning paradigms, the project aims to reveal the neurocom ....A new perspective on how we learn motor skills: two adaptation classes? The capacity to adapt and acquire movement skills is essential for success in almost every aspect of our lives. This project will test the idea that there are two fundamentally distinct classes of motor learning processes in the brain that are driven by different error types. Using brain recordings, robotic perturbation of movement, and novel variations of classical learning paradigms, the project aims to reveal the neurocomputational properties of these proposed adaptation classes across a range of sensorimotor learning paradigms. The knowledge gained from this project may identify new strategies for adapting movements that are widely applicable to industry, defence, sport, and health.Read moreRead less
Evaluating the Network Neuroscience of Human Cognition to Improve AI. This project will translate the brain’s inherent complexity into a set of explorable networks that will test the network theory of intelligence, and also be used to drive advances in next generation artificial neural networks. Our approach will catalyse new knowledge regarding how the complexity of the brain gives rise to cognition using innovative analyses inspired by physics and engineering. This fresh perspective on cogniti ....Evaluating the Network Neuroscience of Human Cognition to Improve AI. This project will translate the brain’s inherent complexity into a set of explorable networks that will test the network theory of intelligence, and also be used to drive advances in next generation artificial neural networks. Our approach will catalyse new knowledge regarding how the complexity of the brain gives rise to cognition using innovative analyses inspired by physics and engineering. This fresh perspective on cognition will accelerate understanding of normal cognitive function and also advance the development of advances in artificial neural network performance. Expected outcomes include methods to describe the computational signature of how cognition emerges from dynamic brain network activity and novel AI algorithms. Read moreRead less
Know thyself: Development of metacognition in childhood and adolescence. This project aims to advance our understanding of the development of children and adolescents’ insight into their own thoughts and behaviours, or metacognition. Individual differences in metacognition impact learning and contribute to the educational achievement gap observed in many countries, including Australia. By combining analysis of existing international cohort data and state-of-the art developmentally appropriate ne ....Know thyself: Development of metacognition in childhood and adolescence. This project aims to advance our understanding of the development of children and adolescents’ insight into their own thoughts and behaviours, or metacognition. Individual differences in metacognition impact learning and contribute to the educational achievement gap observed in many countries, including Australia. By combining analysis of existing international cohort data and state-of-the art developmentally appropriate neuroimaging methodology, the project is expected to create new basic research knowledge. An intended benefit is the development and evaluation of an evidence-based intervention to enhance the metacognitive skills of primary and secondary school pupils and improve their achievement in mathematics.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240101039
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$468,592.00
Summary
The Impact of Online Social Interactions on Adolescent Cognition. Human cognition has evolved to navigate our complex social interactions. Today these interactions often take place online, especially for adolescents. This project aims to investigate whether and how online interactions shape adolescent cognitive development. The project will overcome current methodological limitations through novel measurements of online interactions and cognition in the real-world and across development. Expecte ....The Impact of Online Social Interactions on Adolescent Cognition. Human cognition has evolved to navigate our complex social interactions. Today these interactions often take place online, especially for adolescents. This project aims to investigate whether and how online interactions shape adolescent cognitive development. The project will overcome current methodological limitations through novel measurements of online interactions and cognition in the real-world and across development. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the cognitive harms and benefits of online interactions and a framework to guide future developmental research in the digital age. These outcomes will provide significant benefits including novel assessments and insights to inform policy recommendations around digital behaviours.Read moreRead less
The impact of circadian and sleep factors on neurodevelopment. This project aims to longitudinally examine the contributions of multiple circadian and sleep factors on the development of the teen brain. Adolescence is associated with a change in the internal body clock, leading to later bed and wake times and loss of sleep. It is also a time when the teenage brain is rapidly maturing to support learning. Despite the known importance of sleep in adolescence we know little about how the circadian ....The impact of circadian and sleep factors on neurodevelopment. This project aims to longitudinally examine the contributions of multiple circadian and sleep factors on the development of the teen brain. Adolescence is associated with a change in the internal body clock, leading to later bed and wake times and loss of sleep. It is also a time when the teenage brain is rapidly maturing to support learning. Despite the known importance of sleep in adolescence we know little about how the circadian clock and sleep impacts the developing brain. Our project expects to advance understanding of the importance of sleep and circadian timing for healthy brain and cognitive development. This knowledge will inform policy and prevention/intervention programs to benefit individuals, parents and the community.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100608
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$457,810.00
Summary
Characterising brain networks of intelligence through information tracking. For intelligent behaviour, the human brain needs to engage several processes including sensory, memory and motor processes. How it does this is one of the most significant questions in cognitive neuroscience. This project characterises the neural networks of human intelligence by advancing and building on the most recent advances in neuroimaging analyses. It will determine the interaction of different brain processes by ....Characterising brain networks of intelligence through information tracking. For intelligent behaviour, the human brain needs to engage several processes including sensory, memory and motor processes. How it does this is one of the most significant questions in cognitive neuroscience. This project characterises the neural networks of human intelligence by advancing and building on the most recent advances in neuroimaging analyses. It will determine the interaction of different brain processes by developing novel connectivity methods that track the flow of information through the brain with high temporal and spatial accuracy. The outcomes will be fundamental insights into the mechanisms of human intelligence and new connectivity analysis software that will have wide application in brain research.Read moreRead less
Social buffering of fear inhibition in adolescent rats. Adolescence is an important time when individuals learn to manage stress-related emotions like fear. Peers can help, or hinder, individuals to regulate fear. This project aims to understand how, when, and for whom social buffering of fear regulation occurs during adolescence. It uses a behavioural, pharmacological, and neural approach to explore these issues. The project aims to close the gap in understanding of how social companions affect ....Social buffering of fear inhibition in adolescent rats. Adolescence is an important time when individuals learn to manage stress-related emotions like fear. Peers can help, or hinder, individuals to regulate fear. This project aims to understand how, when, and for whom social buffering of fear regulation occurs during adolescence. It uses a behavioural, pharmacological, and neural approach to explore these issues. The project aims to close the gap in understanding of how social companions affect basic learning and memory processes in an understudied population of adolescents. The expected outcomes of this project include a richer knowledge of how peers shape emotional regulation during development, which will ultimately inform social-based approaches for improving emotion regulation in youth.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100380
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$447,683.00
Summary
The dynamics of object representations in the human brain. The human brain's ability to effortlessly recognise and categorise objects enables effective behavioural responses in complex everyday environments. Despite the apparent efficiency of this process, it is still unknown how the brain solves object recognition. This project capitalises on cutting-edge advances in artificial intelligence and neuroscience to resolve the spatiotemporal dynamics of object processing in the human brain. The outc ....The dynamics of object representations in the human brain. The human brain's ability to effortlessly recognise and categorise objects enables effective behavioural responses in complex everyday environments. Despite the apparent efficiency of this process, it is still unknown how the brain solves object recognition. This project capitalises on cutting-edge advances in artificial intelligence and neuroscience to resolve the spatiotemporal dynamics of object processing in the human brain. The outcomes will be a step change in our understanding of the nature and development of the multi-dimensional space underpinning neural object processing. This will ultimately facilitate the diagnosis and treatment of brain disorders across the lifespan and accelerate the development of intelligent machines.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100614
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$443,007.00
Summary
How does the brain process conflicting information? Learning is the means by which we adapt to our environments. Occasionally, what we learn contradicts our present knowledge about the world. When this occurs, the old and new (contradictory) information compete for control over behaviour. Yet, how the brain processes contradictory information and resolves this competition is poorly understood. This project uses modern genetic tools in rodents to examine how the brain encodes and retrieves contra ....How does the brain process conflicting information? Learning is the means by which we adapt to our environments. Occasionally, what we learn contradicts our present knowledge about the world. When this occurs, the old and new (contradictory) information compete for control over behaviour. Yet, how the brain processes contradictory information and resolves this competition is poorly understood. This project uses modern genetic tools in rodents to examine how the brain encodes and retrieves contradictory information to influence behaviour. The outcomes include new insights regarding the neural basis of adaptive behaviour; and the benefits include an understanding of why we sometimes fail to adapt to change, and disorders characterized by such failures (e.g., anxiety disorders, addiction).Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL220100184
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,897,256.00
Summary
Next-generation maps and models of the human brain. This project aims to develop a new framework for understanding how the anatomy of the brain shapes its function and influences individual differences in human behaviour. The project expects to develop innovative methods for mapping and modelling human brain function by combining techniques from neuroscience, physics, informatics, psychology, and genetics. Expected outcomes include new tools for analysing brain imaging data, new models of brain ....Next-generation maps and models of the human brain. This project aims to develop a new framework for understanding how the anatomy of the brain shapes its function and influences individual differences in human behaviour. The project expects to develop innovative methods for mapping and modelling human brain function by combining techniques from neuroscience, physics, informatics, psychology, and genetics. Expected outcomes include new tools for analysing brain imaging data, new models of brain structure and function, an understanding of how genes shape brain architecture, and a comprehensive characterization of how individual differences in brain organization relate to behaviour. These outcomes should benefit our understanding of how the brain works and of the biological basis of behaviour.Read moreRead less