Pattern recognition in animals and machines: using machine learning to reveal cues central to the identification of individuals. The power to recognise individuals of a species requires significant image and pattern discrimination abilities. Yet, individual recognition has been found in a huge range of species, from humans to invertebrates demonstrating its importance for social interactions. The project will investigate this ability in lower vertebrates (fish, with no visual cortex), so as to u ....Pattern recognition in animals and machines: using machine learning to reveal cues central to the identification of individuals. The power to recognise individuals of a species requires significant image and pattern discrimination abilities. Yet, individual recognition has been found in a huge range of species, from humans to invertebrates demonstrating its importance for social interactions. The project will investigate this ability in lower vertebrates (fish, with no visual cortex), so as to understand the underlying mechanisms of pattern discrimination. The project will also test how robust this ability is during changes in water quality (elevated carbon dioxide levels and increased turbidity). The outcomes will further our knowledge base in lower vertebrate vision and evolution, and also have implications for human vision, image analysis, and artificial vision.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC210100019
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,583,816.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Optimal Ageing. The ARC Training Centre for Optimal Ageing aims to address issues identified by older adults as essential for quality of life. With our industry partners, we aim to train the next generation of researchers to understand, detect and improve psychosocial factors that support mental activity, physical health and social connectedness, and embrace advances in artificial intelligence, digital-enriched environments and adaptive workplaces to deliver effective dig ....ARC Training Centre for Optimal Ageing. The ARC Training Centre for Optimal Ageing aims to address issues identified by older adults as essential for quality of life. With our industry partners, we aim to train the next generation of researchers to understand, detect and improve psychosocial factors that support mental activity, physical health and social connectedness, and embrace advances in artificial intelligence, digital-enriched environments and adaptive workplaces to deliver effective digital solutions. By developing new capacity and capability to drive the digital transformation of industries supporting our ageing population, our Centre seeks to deliver economic and social benefits that enable Australians to live enriched, healthy and independent lives as they age.Read moreRead less
Neural origins of conscious perception in no-report paradigms. This project aims to test two highly influential theories of consciousness. The project will be the first to test critical experimental conditions, where neural activities are recorded in humans and novel measures of causality are computed, which allows us to distinguish the two theories. The intended outcomes will provide significant benefits by bringing us closer to solve the mind-body problem. These outcomes can contribute to the ....Neural origins of conscious perception in no-report paradigms. This project aims to test two highly influential theories of consciousness. The project will be the first to test critical experimental conditions, where neural activities are recorded in humans and novel measures of causality are computed, which allows us to distinguish the two theories. The intended outcomes will provide significant benefits by bringing us closer to solve the mind-body problem. These outcomes can contribute to the development of engineering and clinical devices that utilise objective measures of consciousness.Read moreRead less
Individualised predictions of circadian timing, sleep, and performance. The body's 24-hour clock regulates when we feel sleepy or alert. In shift workers, disrupted sleep and rhythms leads to fatigue and costly, often deadly, workplace accidents. Existing methods for measuring body clock timing are costly, impractical for operational settings, and do not work in real time. Using a shift-worker population, this project will develop models that accurately predict body timing, sleep/wake patterns, ....Individualised predictions of circadian timing, sleep, and performance. The body's 24-hour clock regulates when we feel sleepy or alert. In shift workers, disrupted sleep and rhythms leads to fatigue and costly, often deadly, workplace accidents. Existing methods for measuring body clock timing are costly, impractical for operational settings, and do not work in real time. Using a shift-worker population, this project will develop models that accurately predict body timing, sleep/wake patterns, and performance for an individual, requiring only a simple activity/light sensor and an assessment of the body clock's sensitivity to light. The new model would revolutionise fatigue management and make safer work environments for millions of shift workers. Read moreRead less
Next generation smart lighting to improve sleep and alertness. Light has a powerful influence on our sleep and alertness. The manipulation of the amount of blue in a light source and the visual brightness of a light source are key factors, but there has been no systematic study that can guide manufacturers in the design of the ideal light source for promoting either sleep or alertness. This study will systematically examine the impact of the amount of blue light in a light source and the visual ....Next generation smart lighting to improve sleep and alertness. Light has a powerful influence on our sleep and alertness. The manipulation of the amount of blue in a light source and the visual brightness of a light source are key factors, but there has been no systematic study that can guide manufacturers in the design of the ideal light source for promoting either sleep or alertness. This study will systematically examine the impact of the amount of blue light in a light source and the visual brightness, creating a wide range of combinations that can be used to model the optimal light specifications for sleep and alertness, while maintaining visual acuity and colour discrimination. This will be the evidence base needed by the lighting industry to create the next generation of smart lighting.Read moreRead less
Neural circuitry of maternal behaviour. Elaborate maternal care is a defining characteristic of mammalian species, suggesting conserved brain pathways evolved to orchestrate these responses. The neural substrates underscoring maternal behaviour have not been fully elucidated. This project aims to investigate the brain circuitry underpinning maternal care using a multidisciplinary approach combining behavioural assays and pharmacogenetic manipulations in mice alongside sophisticated molecular and ....Neural circuitry of maternal behaviour. Elaborate maternal care is a defining characteristic of mammalian species, suggesting conserved brain pathways evolved to orchestrate these responses. The neural substrates underscoring maternal behaviour have not been fully elucidated. This project aims to investigate the brain circuitry underpinning maternal care using a multidisciplinary approach combining behavioural assays and pharmacogenetic manipulations in mice alongside sophisticated molecular and functional analyses. The outcomes of this project are expected to improve our understanding of how specific brain pathways govern maternal behaviour. The novel insight gained is expected to advance theories regarding the organisation of maternal care and enable their practical testing.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180100389
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$366,603.00
Summary
Effort for reward – neural processes underlying human motivation. This project aims to characterise the neurobiology of motivation by combining cutting-edge techniques in psychology, economics, computational modelling and neuroimaging. This project will provide novel mechanistic insights into the brain processes underlying motivation. It will form the basis for international collaborations that significantly advance the frontier field of decision neuroscience, and lay the foundation for future i ....Effort for reward – neural processes underlying human motivation. This project aims to characterise the neurobiology of motivation by combining cutting-edge techniques in psychology, economics, computational modelling and neuroimaging. This project will provide novel mechanistic insights into the brain processes underlying motivation. It will form the basis for international collaborations that significantly advance the frontier field of decision neuroscience, and lay the foundation for future interventions to improve motivation. The results from this project will therefore have wide-ranging translational implications for improving health and socioeconomic outcomes, including workplace productivity and quality of life.Read moreRead less
The intergenerational origins of social and emotional wellbeing. This project aims to map inter-generational pathways that connect parental life histories, from infancy to parenthood, to offspring development decades later. The project brings together rare data from three long running studies of social development in Australia and New Zealand: The Australian Temperament Project (est. 1983), The Victorian Inter-generational Health Cohort (est. 1992), and The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Dev ....The intergenerational origins of social and emotional wellbeing. This project aims to map inter-generational pathways that connect parental life histories, from infancy to parenthood, to offspring development decades later. The project brings together rare data from three long running studies of social development in Australia and New Zealand: The Australian Temperament Project (est. 1983), The Victorian Inter-generational Health Cohort (est. 1992), and The Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health & Development Study (est. 1972). Expected outcomes include enhanced understanding of the factors that strengthen or undermine well-being in families from one generation to the next.Read moreRead less
Intergenerational determinants of child development on school entry. There is widespread interest in preconception determinants of child development but progress relies on multigenerational longitudinal datasets, which are rare internationally. This project takes advantage of a unique opportunity to follow third-generation offspring from one of Australia's oldest longitudinal studies of psychosocial development. The Australian Temperament Project has followed 2000+ young Australians (and their f ....Intergenerational determinants of child development on school entry. There is widespread interest in preconception determinants of child development but progress relies on multigenerational longitudinal datasets, which are rare internationally. This project takes advantage of a unique opportunity to follow third-generation offspring from one of Australia's oldest longitudinal studies of psychosocial development. The Australian Temperament Project has followed 2000+ young Australians (and their families) since 1983, and over 1000 offspring from pregnancy to 4 years since 2012. This project will expand offspring assessments to 6-years, marking the transition to school. Findings have the potential to reshape approaches promoting intergenerational wellbeing and breaking intergenerational cycles of disadvantage.Read moreRead less
Intergenerational Prediction of Social and Early Emotional Development. This project aims to investigate multi-generational influences on child psychosocial development. It plans to take advantage of a not-to-be-repeated opportunity to follow offspring born to one of Australia’s oldest longitudinal studies of social and emotional development. The Australian Temperament Project has followed around 2000 parents and offspring across 30 years from birth in 1983. Third-generation babies have been fol ....Intergenerational Prediction of Social and Early Emotional Development. This project aims to investigate multi-generational influences on child psychosocial development. It plans to take advantage of a not-to-be-repeated opportunity to follow offspring born to one of Australia’s oldest longitudinal studies of social and emotional development. The Australian Temperament Project has followed around 2000 parents and offspring across 30 years from birth in 1983. Third-generation babies have been followed across the peak period of first births to females. This project plans to continue recruitment across the peak period of first births for males in 2016–18. This would create one of the most extensive and well-powered three-generation resources worldwide, yielding unique data on intergenerational pathways through mother and father lines. It expects to inform targeting of interventions and psychosocial resources to promote wellbeing within and across generations.Read moreRead less