Spontaneous activity and neural decoding in the developing brain. This project aims to investigate how patterns of neural activity emerge in the developing brain, using the zebrafish as a model system. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding the functional significance of spontaneously generated activity, and how it interacts with sensory experience. The expected outcomes of this project include enhanced capacity at the interface between neuroscience and computation. This should ....Spontaneous activity and neural decoding in the developing brain. This project aims to investigate how patterns of neural activity emerge in the developing brain, using the zebrafish as a model system. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding the functional significance of spontaneously generated activity, and how it interacts with sensory experience. The expected outcomes of this project include enhanced capacity at the interface between neuroscience and computation. This should provide significant benefits including greater insight into normal brain development, and the formulation of new concepts potentially relevant for brain-inspired computing.Read moreRead less
How does environmental enrichment affect brain development? This project aims to use brain imaging and advanced computational analyses to investigate how early sensory experience affects brain development. It adopts the larval zebrafish as a model system, since they display sophisticated behaviours from an early age, and neural activity can be recorded at whole-brain scale with single neuron resolution. The project aims to generate new knowledge regarding environmental effects on brain developme ....How does environmental enrichment affect brain development? This project aims to use brain imaging and advanced computational analyses to investigate how early sensory experience affects brain development. It adopts the larval zebrafish as a model system, since they display sophisticated behaviours from an early age, and neural activity can be recorded at whole-brain scale with single neuron resolution. The project aims to generate new knowledge regarding environmental effects on brain development and behaviour. This will provide significant benefits including greater insight into normal brain development, and the formulation of new concepts potentially relevant for brain-inspired computing. The expected outcomes also include enhanced capacity at the interface between neuroscience and computation.Read moreRead less
How do patterns of brain activity emerge during early life? This project uses theory and experiment to investigate how neural coding emerges in the developing brain. It adopts the larval zebrafish as a model system, because neural activity can be recorded at whole-brain scale but with single neuron resolution. The project expects to generate new knowledge regarding how neural activity comes to represent sensory stimuli, and new statistical models for interpreting large-scale patterns of neural a ....How do patterns of brain activity emerge during early life? This project uses theory and experiment to investigate how neural coding emerges in the developing brain. It adopts the larval zebrafish as a model system, because neural activity can be recorded at whole-brain scale but with single neuron resolution. The project expects to generate new knowledge regarding how neural activity comes to represent sensory stimuli, and new statistical models for interpreting large-scale patterns of neural activity. This will provide significant benefits including greater insight into normal brain development, and the formulation of new concepts potentially relevant for brain-inspired computing. The expected outcomes also include enhanced capacity at the interface between neuroscience and computation.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of Recovery after Extinction of Conditioned Behaviour. Old habits die hard and may never die at all. My previous ARC-funded research has revealed that extinguished learning can be recovered rapidly and in unsuspected ways. This project is aimed at building a neural network to explain how old learning can recovered. In practical terms, rapid recovery has both benefits, e.g., our ability to regain old skills with brief refresher training, and costs, e.g., relapse after therapies for anx ....Mechanisms of Recovery after Extinction of Conditioned Behaviour. Old habits die hard and may never die at all. My previous ARC-funded research has revealed that extinguished learning can be recovered rapidly and in unsuspected ways. This project is aimed at building a neural network to explain how old learning can recovered. In practical terms, rapid recovery has both benefits, e.g., our ability to regain old skills with brief refresher training, and costs, e.g., relapse after therapies for anxiety disorders and substance abuse. In theoretical terms, understanding recovery in biological systems will inform research concerning both the neural basis of memory and the design of robots.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101514
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$372,000.00
Summary
The control of neuroplasticity in the brain. This project aims to determine how neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to remodel and make new circuits – is controlled in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons. This capacity, vital for all cognitive functions, diminishes as people age. It is imperative to determine neuroplasticity’s mechanisms and how and why they change, but it is not known how both excitatory and inhibitory neurons contribute to neuroplasticity and how these dynamic alterations ....The control of neuroplasticity in the brain. This project aims to determine how neuroplasticity – the brain’s ability to remodel and make new circuits – is controlled in both excitatory and inhibitory neurons. This capacity, vital for all cognitive functions, diminishes as people age. It is imperative to determine neuroplasticity’s mechanisms and how and why they change, but it is not known how both excitatory and inhibitory neurons contribute to neuroplasticity and how these dynamic alterations are controlled. Understanding neuroplasticity is vital for learning, memory and healthy ageing throughout life.Read moreRead less
A Novel Framework for Optimised Ensemble Classifier. The project aims to develop a novel framework for creating an optimised ensemble classifier that will improve data analysis and the accuracy of many real-world applications such as document analysis, robotics and medical diagnosis. The project plans to develop and investigate novel methods for generating diverse training environment layers, base classifiers and fusion of classifiers. It also plans to design a multi-objective evolutionary algor ....A Novel Framework for Optimised Ensemble Classifier. The project aims to develop a novel framework for creating an optimised ensemble classifier that will improve data analysis and the accuracy of many real-world applications such as document analysis, robotics and medical diagnosis. The project plans to develop and investigate novel methods for generating diverse training environment layers, base classifiers and fusion of classifiers. It also plans to design a multi-objective evolutionary algorithm-based search obtain the optimal number of layers, clusters and base classifiers. The expected outcomes of the proposed framework are advances in classifier learning. The final outcome may be novel methods which will bring in diversity during the learning of the base classifiers and provide an optimal ensemble classifier for real-world applications.Read moreRead less
Design of dynamic visual signals. Models of the design of visual signals depend heavily upon analyses of static ornaments. Nothing is known about dynamic visual signals. We will use an array of new techniques to tackle this problem for the first time. Motion analyses will define the task faced by the visual system. Sensory limitations will be measured to identify constraints on signal evolution. Digital video playback studies will assess recognition and explain aspects of signal design. Results ....Design of dynamic visual signals. Models of the design of visual signals depend heavily upon analyses of static ornaments. Nothing is known about dynamic visual signals. We will use an array of new techniques to tackle this problem for the first time. Motion analyses will define the task faced by the visual system. Sensory limitations will be measured to identify constraints on signal evolution. Digital video playback studies will assess recognition and explain aspects of signal design. Results will test the generality of principles that have been developed in studies of female mate choice and extend these ideas to address intra-sexual selection operating through opponent assessment.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of nerve fibre guidance by molecular gradients. Brain wiring is crucial for brain function. The project will investigate the basic principles underlying the development of brain wiring, using both experiments and mathematical models. This will lead a predictive model of how wiring develops, both in normal and abnormal situations.
Data Mining by Clustering in Very Large Relational Databases. Many commercial and governmental entities possess very large relational data that cannot be feasibly analyzed by today's computers, e.g., gene expression data, product usage databases and telecommunication call records. The clustering tools developed in this project will have a significant benefit on many business processes that involve clustering this type of data, such as fraud detection and market segmentation.
An automated system for the analysis of road safety and conditions. This project aims to develop an automated system for the analysis of road safety and conditions. Digital video road data is collected over every state road in Queensland annually, and has the potential to provide a range of value-added products for safer roads. This project will develop deep learning based neural network techniques which can learn and classify roadside objects so that video data can be automatically analysed all ....An automated system for the analysis of road safety and conditions. This project aims to develop an automated system for the analysis of road safety and conditions. Digital video road data is collected over every state road in Queensland annually, and has the potential to provide a range of value-added products for safer roads. This project will develop deep learning based neural network techniques which can learn and classify roadside objects so that video data can be automatically analysed allowing the estimation of the proximity of objects for road safety and rating. The expected outcome will be new identification techniques and software which can be incorporated with road data collection systems.Read moreRead less