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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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
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230100498
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$453,868.00
Summary
Mapping the genetics of brain connectivity. The brain is a complex biological system that gives rise to our consciousness, thoughts, and experiences, yet we still do not know how this complexity emerges. This project aims to comprehensively investigate the genetics of brain connectivity combining cutting-edge techniques in neuroimaging, genomics, mathematical modelling, and cognitive neuroscience, focusing specifically on the connectivity of functionally important brain network hubs. The outcome ....Mapping the genetics of brain connectivity. The brain is a complex biological system that gives rise to our consciousness, thoughts, and experiences, yet we still do not know how this complexity emerges. This project aims to comprehensively investigate the genetics of brain connectivity combining cutting-edge techniques in neuroimaging, genomics, mathematical modelling, and cognitive neuroscience, focusing specifically on the connectivity of functionally important brain network hubs. The outcomes will provide a mechanistic understanding of the genetic origins of brain network formation and an explanation for how genetic influences on brain organisation shape human behaviour advancing the fundamental knowledge about the complexity of the brain.Read moreRead less
The cognitive neuroscience of motor skill learning. The capacity to produce skilled motor behaviour is essential for success in almost every aspect of our lives, whether it be playing sport, driving a car, operating machinery at work, or touch-typing. This project aims to establish the causal role of brain regions in motor skill learning by combining cutting-edge techniques in neuroimaging and brain stimulation. It is expected to lead to fundamental new knowledge on how new motor memories are cr ....The cognitive neuroscience of motor skill learning. The capacity to produce skilled motor behaviour is essential for success in almost every aspect of our lives, whether it be playing sport, driving a car, operating machinery at work, or touch-typing. This project aims to establish the causal role of brain regions in motor skill learning by combining cutting-edge techniques in neuroimaging and brain stimulation. It is expected to lead to fundamental new knowledge on how new motor memories are created to enable the expression of skilled motor behaviour. The knowledge gained from this project may identify new strategies for learning skills that are widely applicable to education, industry, sport, and health.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240101348
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$470,999.00
Summary
Synergies between physical exercise, brain stimulation, and neuroplasticity. The brain is a highly dynamic organ. This capacity, known as neuroplasticity, governs our ability to learn new skills, acquire new knowledge, and fine-tune cognition. This project aims to investigate synergies between exercise, brain stimulation, and neuroplasticity, via application of a highly innovative interdisciplinary approach combining exercise physiology and cognitive neuroscience techniques. This project will pi ....Synergies between physical exercise, brain stimulation, and neuroplasticity. The brain is a highly dynamic organ. This capacity, known as neuroplasticity, governs our ability to learn new skills, acquire new knowledge, and fine-tune cognition. This project aims to investigate synergies between exercise, brain stimulation, and neuroplasticity, via application of a highly innovative interdisciplinary approach combining exercise physiology and cognitive neuroscience techniques. This project will pioneer novel, non-invasive methods of harnessing neuroplasticity to improve brain function, and generate fundamental insights into the mechanisms mediating learning and memory. Read moreRead less
Neural circuit control of effort under stress . This Project aims to investigate how the ‘decision’ to persist in exerting effort to obtain a reward is encoded in the the brain and affected by stress. This work will generate new knowledge on the neural mechanisms through which stress modifies neural activity to control decision making processes underpinning adaptive behaviours essential for survival. The expected outcomes of this work include enhanced capacity at the interface of behavioural a ....Neural circuit control of effort under stress . This Project aims to investigate how the ‘decision’ to persist in exerting effort to obtain a reward is encoded in the the brain and affected by stress. This work will generate new knowledge on the neural mechanisms through which stress modifies neural activity to control decision making processes underpinning adaptive behaviours essential for survival. The expected outcomes of this work include enhanced capacity at the interface of behavioural and computational neuroscience, that will in turn provide significant benefits through greater insight into brain functions essential for survival, with long ranging implications for performance optimisation and brain-inspired computing. Read moreRead less
Midbrain hunger signalling modifies decision making under conflict. Decision-making is one of the most important and fundamental biological processes executed by the mammalian brain. Environmental threats and physiological pressures, such as hunger, can influence decision-making processes skewing the risk/reward ratio, yet how the brain integrates these conflicting goals to determine action selection is unknown. This project aims to investigate brain chemistry and circuitry controlling decision ....Midbrain hunger signalling modifies decision making under conflict. Decision-making is one of the most important and fundamental biological processes executed by the mammalian brain. Environmental threats and physiological pressures, such as hunger, can influence decision-making processes skewing the risk/reward ratio, yet how the brain integrates these conflicting goals to determine action selection is unknown. This project aims to investigate brain chemistry and circuitry controlling decision making under conflict using a multidisciplinary approach combining behaviour, pharmacogenetics, and sophisticated molecular and functional profiling. The expected outcomes will advance theories regarding the neural organisation and computation of decision making under conflict.Read moreRead less
The neurobiology of curiosity. This project aims to define the neurobiology of curiosity by combining cutting-edge techniques in computational modelling, pharmacointervention and neuroimaging. It is expected to lead to a comprehensive neuroscientific framework of curiosity, which will characterise its evolution over the lifespan, and its dependency on key neurotransmitter systems. Expected outcomes include a legacy of open access stimulus & data sets; the development of a global collaborative ne ....The neurobiology of curiosity. This project aims to define the neurobiology of curiosity by combining cutting-edge techniques in computational modelling, pharmacointervention and neuroimaging. It is expected to lead to a comprehensive neuroscientific framework of curiosity, which will characterise its evolution over the lifespan, and its dependency on key neurotransmitter systems. Expected outcomes include a legacy of open access stimulus & data sets; the development of a global collaborative network; and an increase in our national capacity and profile in decision neuroscience. The benefits of this project include laying the foundations for future interventions to improve curiosity, with potential downstream effects on many aspects of education, social & public policy.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
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