The role of social-emotional learning in attaining literacy and numeracy. This project aims to characterise variability in developmental pathways to literacy and numeracy, and the factors that contribute to this variation, utilising innovative analytical approaches and population data. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding the role of school-based social-emotional learning programs in supporting children’s achievement of literacy and numeracy. Expected outcomes of the project ....The role of social-emotional learning in attaining literacy and numeracy. This project aims to characterise variability in developmental pathways to literacy and numeracy, and the factors that contribute to this variation, utilising innovative analytical approaches and population data. This project expects to generate new knowledge regarding the role of school-based social-emotional learning programs in supporting children’s achievement of literacy and numeracy. Expected outcomes of the project include enhanced collaboration with government to deliver policy-relevant information on the most effective targets and timing for delivering social-emotional programs that maximise academic learning. This should assist policy makers to develop better strategies to support every child’s academic achievement.Read moreRead less
A longitudinal study into the development of personal vulnerabilities and well-being in adolescence. Character strengths such as empathy and emotion management skills are potentially teachable and help prevent an adolescent from experiencing difficulties in social, emotional, and academic adjustment. This longitudinal study examines the temperament and environmental factors that promote character strengths in adolescents.
Into the thirties: Persistence and social consequences of risky drinking. The aim of this project is to investigate the social contexts, roles and consequences of problematic alcohol use in adults aged 30, using long term longitudinal resources able to observe the development and corollary of alcohol use over time. It is posited that such drinkers entering their third decade of life persist in levels of problematic alcohol use typically associated with younger ages and that this leads to social ....Into the thirties: Persistence and social consequences of risky drinking. The aim of this project is to investigate the social contexts, roles and consequences of problematic alcohol use in adults aged 30, using long term longitudinal resources able to observe the development and corollary of alcohol use over time. It is posited that such drinkers entering their third decade of life persist in levels of problematic alcohol use typically associated with younger ages and that this leads to social consequences, such as gender specific risks, relationship conflicts and more severe long term effects. Outcomes from this project are expected to inform the generation of relevant prevention and intervention strategies aimed to address problem drinking in adult Australians.Read moreRead less
Mapping the learning mechanisms linking adversity with maladjustment. Exposure to adversity, such as violence, neglect and natural disasters, is common and a powerful risk factor for emotional maladjustment. Yet knowledge of the underlying mechanisms linking adversity with emotional maladjustment is remarkably limited. By drawing from theories of adversity and learning and utilising novel experimental methodology, this project aims to map how adverse experiences have different negative effects o ....Mapping the learning mechanisms linking adversity with maladjustment. Exposure to adversity, such as violence, neglect and natural disasters, is common and a powerful risk factor for emotional maladjustment. Yet knowledge of the underlying mechanisms linking adversity with emotional maladjustment is remarkably limited. By drawing from theories of adversity and learning and utilising novel experimental methodology, this project aims to map how adverse experiences have different negative effects on daily emotional wellbeing by disrupting the mechanisms underlying how people learn to acquire and reduce reactivity to new threats. Expected benefits include new knowledge about the pathways linking adversity with psychopathology as well as the vital evidence-base for clear targets for behavioural interventions. Read moreRead less
Content and source of teasing and victimisation in adolescents. This project aims to determine the content and source of teasing that are most toxic for adolescents' personal adjustment. Rejection, teasing and victimisation can distress teens, and cause eating disorders, body and muscle distortion, social anxiety and depression. This project will investigate these associations and discover whether teasing is more toxic depending on the content, and if the teaser’s sex causes more mental health p ....Content and source of teasing and victimisation in adolescents. This project aims to determine the content and source of teasing that are most toxic for adolescents' personal adjustment. Rejection, teasing and victimisation can distress teens, and cause eating disorders, body and muscle distortion, social anxiety and depression. This project will investigate these associations and discover whether teasing is more toxic depending on the content, and if the teaser’s sex causes more mental health problems. It will examine how coping, competence and support from others protect against the toxicity of teasing. The project expects to develop a theoretical model that guides effective intervention and identify factors that protect against the toxicity of teasing.Read moreRead less
Uncovering the coping toolbox for social and academic resilience in youth. This project aims to provide important new knowledge on youth stress, life adversity and coping to assist the development of efficient and successful resilience programs. Coping with stress is the number one concern of today's Australian teenagers. The project intends to address coping flexibility and resilience across the transition of youth from primary to secondary school and through the final years of secondary school ....Uncovering the coping toolbox for social and academic resilience in youth. This project aims to provide important new knowledge on youth stress, life adversity and coping to assist the development of efficient and successful resilience programs. Coping with stress is the number one concern of today's Australian teenagers. The project intends to address coping flexibility and resilience across the transition of youth from primary to secondary school and through the final years of secondary school. Expected outcomes include findings that can be translated into interventions that can assist individuals coping with life transitions at any age and those facing significant social, medical, workplace or academic stressors in other times of their life.Read moreRead less
Epigenetic and neurobehavioural changes in a new mouse model of foetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Foetal alcohol syndrome involves changes in growth, skull structure, central nervous system defects and intellectual disabilities. This project will use a mouse model to study the underlying causes of this disorder, focussing on brain structure and function, and aim to identify markers that can be used for early diagnosis and treatment.
Understanding the mechanisms of GABA type-A receptor activation and drug modulation. There is currently little understanding of how sedative and anxiolytic drugs, including valium, interact with their receptors in the brain. This project will dramatically increase our understanding of how these receptors work and how drugs affect their activity. This will provide new insights into drug discovery and design.
Understanding the generation of hypothalamic sleep neurons. This Project aims to investigate the mechanisms controlling the formation of the sleep neurons in the hypothalamus. We all sleep, and normal sleep-wake cycles play a central role in our biology. The functional role of these sleep neurons in the mature brain are well established. However, how the neurons are generated during development is very poorly defined. This project aims to address this critical knowledge gap, and will greatly inc ....Understanding the generation of hypothalamic sleep neurons. This Project aims to investigate the mechanisms controlling the formation of the sleep neurons in the hypothalamus. We all sleep, and normal sleep-wake cycles play a central role in our biology. The functional role of these sleep neurons in the mature brain are well established. However, how the neurons are generated during development is very poorly defined. This project aims to address this critical knowledge gap, and will greatly increase our understanding of how the development of this critical aspect of organismal function is orchestrated during development. This project will also develop bioinformatics tools with broad utility within the biosciences field and enhance the capacity for interdisciplinary international collaborations.Read moreRead less
A longitudinal study into the development of personal vulnerabilities and well-being in adolescence. This longitudinal study examines the temperament and environmental factors that promote character strengths in adolescents. Character strengths such as empathy and emotion-management skills are potentially teachable and help prevent an adolescent from experiencing difficulties in social, emotional and academic adjustment.