Discovering genes for singing ability in Australian families. Music abilities are core to what makes us human, with singing ubiquitous in all cultures. Anecdotal evidence suggests that singing ability runs in families, supporting its genetic basis, however no research has systematically traced it across generations. Using an innovative web-based singing program and the latest molecular genetic techniques, this project aims to discover singing ability genes through the first Australian study of l ....Discovering genes for singing ability in Australian families. Music abilities are core to what makes us human, with singing ubiquitous in all cultures. Anecdotal evidence suggests that singing ability runs in families, supporting its genetic basis, however no research has systematically traced it across generations. Using an innovative web-based singing program and the latest molecular genetic techniques, this project aims to discover singing ability genes through the first Australian study of large families with many talented singers. This will generate new knowledge on the origins of human musicality and help Australia develop a sustainable source of cultural capital. It will build interdisciplinary research capacity and inform bespoke music learning programs that account for individual differences.Read moreRead less
The genetic basis of singing ability. This project aims to explore the heritability of music ability, focusing on singing and the contribution of genetic and environmental influences. Research suggests that deliberate practice (more than 10,000 hours) produces skilled musicianship, with minimal investigation of genetic influences. Mapping the human genome has opened up a new scientific frontier, and this project’s findings are expected to lead to the discovery of genes for singing. This will hel ....The genetic basis of singing ability. This project aims to explore the heritability of music ability, focusing on singing and the contribution of genetic and environmental influences. Research suggests that deliberate practice (more than 10,000 hours) produces skilled musicianship, with minimal investigation of genetic influences. Mapping the human genome has opened up a new scientific frontier, and this project’s findings are expected to lead to the discovery of genes for singing. This will help design and deliver music education programmes that take individual differences into account, differentiating between heritable aspects of musicianship and those more influenced by training.Read moreRead less
From sound to hearing: the integration of behavioural, neurophysiological, and neuroimaging research with computational models. McLachlan and Wilson have recently published a ground-breaking new model of the auditory system with important implications for treating deafness and understanding neurological disorders. In this research the predictions of the model will be experimentally validated using advanced neuroimaging techniques.
Using musical training to examine brain plasticity and cognitive skill development. Until recently, the brain was likened to a computer - hard-wired with minimal response to injury. Research is beginning to alter this view, suggesting that the brain can change its structure and functioning in response to the environment. To explore this new and exciting issue, this study will use sophisticated brain scanning techniques with musicians who have been exposed to early training during a critical peri ....Using musical training to examine brain plasticity and cognitive skill development. Until recently, the brain was likened to a computer - hard-wired with minimal response to injury. Research is beginning to alter this view, suggesting that the brain can change its structure and functioning in response to the environment. To explore this new and exciting issue, this study will use sophisticated brain scanning techniques with musicians who have been exposed to early training during a critical period of development. It will examine the relationship between this exposure and changes in brain size and function thought to underlie a specialised ability, known as perfect pitch. The findings will have important implications about the way normal development can be enhanced by early experience and practice.Read moreRead less
From child learner to adult musician: Factors leading to success and ongoing participation in music. Building on recommendations from the Commonwealth Government's National Review of School Music Education (2005), this project seeks to clarify the factors that facilitate engagement in music. Building on data collected 10 years ago, the proposed follow up study will enable us to trace how Australian education in the form of school instrumental programs influence musical development, interest and ....From child learner to adult musician: Factors leading to success and ongoing participation in music. Building on recommendations from the Commonwealth Government's National Review of School Music Education (2005), this project seeks to clarify the factors that facilitate engagement in music. Building on data collected 10 years ago, the proposed follow up study will enable us to trace how Australian education in the form of school instrumental programs influence musical development, interest and attainment from childhood through to early adulthood. With this information, the study will enable us to identify how Australian education can be developed to facilitate the life-long enjoyment that artistic appreciation and participation can offer as a result of school music. Read moreRead less
The Role of Colour and Luminance in Spatial Location. How does the brain form our impression of the world? Black and white images appear normal to us. However, colour images without luminance variation have little depth, suggesting that the brain does not process colour in the same way as luminance. A series of fresh experiments examine how colour and luminance are utilised for seeing the depth and position of objects. The results will help us to understand how the first stages of visual process ....The Role of Colour and Luminance in Spatial Location. How does the brain form our impression of the world? Black and white images appear normal to us. However, colour images without luminance variation have little depth, suggesting that the brain does not process colour in the same way as luminance. A series of fresh experiments examine how colour and luminance are utilised for seeing the depth and position of objects. The results will help us to understand how the first stages of visual processing in the brain shape our sense of the world, and help develop theories of human vision, as well as animal and machine models of vision.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms underlying the perception of surface slant. How our brain encodes sensory information is of fundamental importance in neuroscience. Visual after-effects (how looking at various stimuli can affect the perception of subsequently presented stimuli) have provided valuable information about mechanisms of perceptual coding. We will use an adaptation paradigm to examine two-dimensional and three-dimensional after-effects, and their dependence on common mechanisms. Stimulus manipulations will ....Mechanisms underlying the perception of surface slant. How our brain encodes sensory information is of fundamental importance in neuroscience. Visual after-effects (how looking at various stimuli can affect the perception of subsequently presented stimuli) have provided valuable information about mechanisms of perceptual coding. We will use an adaptation paradigm to examine two-dimensional and three-dimensional after-effects, and their dependence on common mechanisms. Stimulus manipulations will allow us to probe the steps involved in recovering three-dimensional slant, and recording the full time-course of the after-effect will allow us to gauge the plasticity of these mechanisms. These effects will be modelled in terms of the response properties of cortical neurons.Read moreRead less
A theory of attention and decision-making in multi-attribute and multi-object perceptual judgements. The human brain is an efficient biological computation device for rapidly translating perception into action. This project will develop and test a mathematical model of the processes of visual selective attention and perceptual decision-making. These processes are at the heart of the brain's ability to carry out this translation in a fast and accurate way.
Cognitive Foundations of Fast Decision Making. This project aims to develop a new theory of fast decision making. In all walks of life, from the sports field to the battlefield, fast and accurate decisions are central to human performance. This project will develop and test mathematical models of the processes involved in making decisions with continuous choice sets and decisions requiring integration of multiple sources of information and decisions in which information varies over time. It is e ....Cognitive Foundations of Fast Decision Making. This project aims to develop a new theory of fast decision making. In all walks of life, from the sports field to the battlefield, fast and accurate decisions are central to human performance. This project will develop and test mathematical models of the processes involved in making decisions with continuous choice sets and decisions requiring integration of multiple sources of information and decisions in which information varies over time. It is expected to contribute to our understanding of factors that characterise and limit human performance in settings in which fast and accurate decisions are required. It is expected to benefit the design of systems and environments in which safety and efficiency depend on human decision making.Read moreRead less
Perception: From Genes to Behaviour. Understanding how genes affect behaviour is inherently difficult because the human brain is extraordinarily complex. This project aims to map fundamental relationships between genes, brain, and behaviour by studying visual perception, where brain mechanisms can be characterised with high fidelity. The project expects to generate new knowledge in behavioural genetics using innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to integrate precise genetic, neural and psycho ....Perception: From Genes to Behaviour. Understanding how genes affect behaviour is inherently difficult because the human brain is extraordinarily complex. This project aims to map fundamental relationships between genes, brain, and behaviour by studying visual perception, where brain mechanisms can be characterised with high fidelity. The project expects to generate new knowledge in behavioural genetics using innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to integrate precise genetic, neural and psychophysical measurements. Expected outcomes of this project include a deeper understanding of our perceptual experience, and rich new experimental paradigms. This should provide significant benefits for future research attempting to disentangle complex gene–behaviour relationships.Read moreRead less