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
Unconscious processing: To what extent, how flexible and how smart? We are unaware of the sophisticated pattern analyses conducted by our perceptual systems that enable us to operate in a complex environment. Less clear is whether unconsciously presented information itself can influence our behaviour or indeed whether unconscious cognition occurs. The proposed studies provide the foundation and structure for a pioneering examination of the extent, flexibility and computational power of unconscio ....Unconscious processing: To what extent, how flexible and how smart? We are unaware of the sophisticated pattern analyses conducted by our perceptual systems that enable us to operate in a complex environment. Less clear is whether unconsciously presented information itself can influence our behaviour or indeed whether unconscious cognition occurs. The proposed studies provide the foundation and structure for a pioneering examination of the extent, flexibility and computational power of unconscious processing at the level of neural response and behaviour. The impact and benefits of the project will be in its contribution to theory with outcomes revealing the boundary conditions governing unconscious cognition and providing a first benchmark for how such conditions might vary across the lifespan.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101064
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,536.00
Summary
How musical rhythms entrain the human brain. This project is designed to investigate the brain mechanisms that allow humans to feel the beat in musical rhythms. Although such activity facilitates pro-social and therapeutic effects, the underlying brain mechanisms remain unknown. The project intends to examine the interface between musical rhythms, behaviour and brain activity to increase knowledge on a fundamental process of brain function: the dynamic coupling between perception and body moveme ....How musical rhythms entrain the human brain. This project is designed to investigate the brain mechanisms that allow humans to feel the beat in musical rhythms. Although such activity facilitates pro-social and therapeutic effects, the underlying brain mechanisms remain unknown. The project intends to examine the interface between musical rhythms, behaviour and brain activity to increase knowledge on a fundamental process of brain function: the dynamic coupling between perception and body movement. The project aims to provide insight into how psychological, environmental and neural mechanisms affect entrainment to rhythmic events and inform practices for education and clinical rehabilitation.Read moreRead less
Psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying human interaction in musical contexts. Human interaction in musical groups is a culturally widespread activity that showcases the remarkable capacity for precision and creativity in interpersonal coordination. Although such activity has beneficial effects, including the facilitation of prosociality and positive therapeutic outcomes, the psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms that underpin an individual’s ability to coordinate wi ....Psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms underlying human interaction in musical contexts. Human interaction in musical groups is a culturally widespread activity that showcases the remarkable capacity for precision and creativity in interpersonal coordination. Although such activity has beneficial effects, including the facilitation of prosociality and positive therapeutic outcomes, the psychological and neurophysiological mechanisms that underpin an individual’s ability to coordinate with others remain poorly understood. This project aims to investigate these mechanisms by examining relationships between behaviour, social factors, and brain structure and function in naturalistic and laboratory settings. This will inform the assessment and treatment of clinical conditions that affect movement timing and social interaction.Read moreRead less
Advancing the science of willpower: investigating the mechanisms and processes of self-control. Willpower or 'good' self control is important for success in our academic, occupational, and social lives. This project will use cutting-edge scientific methods to investigate how glucose, the primary fuel for body function, promotes 'good' self-control and stimulates regions in the brain important for self-control.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100463
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Back to the future - dissociating mental simulation processes in the brain. Remembering the past and imagining the future are two linked processes that rely on a core brain network. The project will examine how damage to different parts of this brain network affects mental simulation of the past and future, providing fundamental information regarding the role of brain structures and systems for complex thought processes.
Cannabis and the brain: the good, the bad and the unknown. Cannabis is the most widely used illicit drug but much remains unknown about how it affects the brain. This research will examine effects on brain cells through to whole brain function in humans to determine how cannabis use may lead to impaired thinking or psychological symptoms and why cannabis might affect individuals in different ways.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE100100055
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
State-of-the-art upgrade to multi-transmit multi-receive technology for research dedicated 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Projects requiring the proposed infrastructure are aligned with two National Research Priorities. The research will lead to new methods for imaging and detecting soft tissue changes, identifying developmental, cognitive and degenerative disorders, and pharmacological research. The understanding of the basis of physiological, cognitive and biochemical proces ....State-of-the-art upgrade to multi-transmit multi-receive technology for research dedicated 3 Tesla magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanner. Projects requiring the proposed infrastructure are aligned with two National Research Priorities. The research will lead to new methods for imaging and detecting soft tissue changes, identifying developmental, cognitive and degenerative disorders, and pharmacological research. The understanding of the basis of physiological, cognitive and biochemical processes which will be facilitated by the new equipment will contribute to the priority area Promoting and Maintaining Good Health and will underpin an array of subsequent medical research. The new equipment will extend capabilities and training in signal analysis, biomedical engineering and biomedicine, contributing to the priority area Frontier technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries.Read moreRead less