The biological origins underpinning adolescent sleep timing. Notwithstanding cultural and social influences, bedtimes gradually become later during adolescence, suggesting common biological contributions. Reductions in sleep pressure, delays in the 24-hour circadian rhythm, and genetic associations have been implicated, yet comprehensive prospective data from these biological sleep processes are lacking. This project aims to use periodic 'in-lab' assessments to unmask young adolescents' circadia ....The biological origins underpinning adolescent sleep timing. Notwithstanding cultural and social influences, bedtimes gradually become later during adolescence, suggesting common biological contributions. Reductions in sleep pressure, delays in the 24-hour circadian rhythm, and genetic associations have been implicated, yet comprehensive prospective data from these biological sleep processes are lacking. This project aims to use periodic 'in-lab' assessments to unmask young adolescents' circadian rhythm delay and sleep pressure which may predict naturalistic sleep behaviour in their home environment. It is predicted that adolescents who show both low sleep pressure and later circadian delay to possess later bedtimes, thus enhancing knowledge of covert biological mechanisms sabotaging healthy adolescent sleep.Read moreRead less
The role of reward expectancy and reward availability in appetitive motivation. This project will investigate the learning processes that help regulate our desire for rewards such as food and drugs and our decisions about when to pursue those rewards. The results will have implications for our understanding of normal reward motivation as well as interventions for maladaptive behaviours such as gambling and drug-taking.
The cost of keeping gruesome images from the world. This project aims to investigate one of society’s most invisible ‘frontline’ trauma workforces—the online content moderators responsible for limiting the public’s exposure to distressing and sensitive content on social media. Using a series of rigorous experiments, and cutting-edge psychological and physiological assessment techniques, the research will advance our understanding of the impact of indirect trauma on mental health. Expected outcom ....The cost of keeping gruesome images from the world. This project aims to investigate one of society’s most invisible ‘frontline’ trauma workforces—the online content moderators responsible for limiting the public’s exposure to distressing and sensitive content on social media. Using a series of rigorous experiments, and cutting-edge psychological and physiological assessment techniques, the research will advance our understanding of the impact of indirect trauma on mental health. Expected outcomes include novel empirical evidence for preventative strategies that will predict, monitor and reduce negative mental health outcomes. This will provide significant global benefits to people with indirect trauma experiences, such as defence and forensic personnel.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101138
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$437,623.00
Summary
Habit formation and change in ageing: Developing a neuropsychological model. This project aims to investigate the neurobiological and neuropsychological determinants of habit formation and change in the context of ageing, by combining cutting-edge techniques in psychology, behavioural neuroscience and neuroimaging. This research expects to generate new knowledge in the area of automatic habits and behaviour change, by investigating how these processes are affected in ageing using an interdiscipl ....Habit formation and change in ageing: Developing a neuropsychological model. This project aims to investigate the neurobiological and neuropsychological determinants of habit formation and change in the context of ageing, by combining cutting-edge techniques in psychology, behavioural neuroscience and neuroimaging. This research expects to generate new knowledge in the area of automatic habits and behaviour change, by investigating how these processes are affected in ageing using an interdisciplinary approach. Expected outcomes include a new, comprehensive model of habit formation and change in ageing. This should provide significant benefits, as it will lay the foundation for future habit-based behaviour change interventions to support older people to age well and productively.Read moreRead less
Functional impact of high fat and high sugar diets on memory encoding. This project aims to determine the functional mechanisms of how fats and sugar affect neuronal processes vital for learning and memory. Expected outcomes will define the neural mechanisms underpinning cognitive changes in emotional and spatial memory encoding, and how these relate to brain and metabolic parameters. This will provide benefits by unveiling the possible consequences of dietary fat and sugar on the brain, and th ....Functional impact of high fat and high sugar diets on memory encoding. This project aims to determine the functional mechanisms of how fats and sugar affect neuronal processes vital for learning and memory. Expected outcomes will define the neural mechanisms underpinning cognitive changes in emotional and spatial memory encoding, and how these relate to brain and metabolic parameters. This will provide benefits by unveiling the possible consequences of dietary fat and sugar on the brain, and the mechanisms of neuroplasticity enhancing interventions.Read moreRead less
Do family environments influence children's brain development during the transition to adolescence? Late childhood marks the first stages of a wave of brain growth and reorganisation, second only to infancy in terms of its extent and significance. This project will investigate whether brain development during this period is affected by parenting behaviours, which will ultimately inform early intervention and prevention efforts.
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL190100011
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,232,000.00
Summary
Contemporary life engagement and cognitive resilience in ageing. The aim of this Laureate Fellowship is to make a significant advance in our understanding of cognitive ageing through the adult life course by discovering how contemporary lifestyles and experience impact on cognitive resilience and cognitive function. Population ageing is occurring globally, creating an urgent need for evidence to inform strategies to promote ageing well and productively. Through assessment of adults aged 18-90 (a ....Contemporary life engagement and cognitive resilience in ageing. The aim of this Laureate Fellowship is to make a significant advance in our understanding of cognitive ageing through the adult life course by discovering how contemporary lifestyles and experience impact on cognitive resilience and cognitive function. Population ageing is occurring globally, creating an urgent need for evidence to inform strategies to promote ageing well and productively. Through assessment of adults aged 18-90 (across the life course), this project will evaluation the impact of technology, life space and sensory function on brain structure and function, and cognition. Intended benefits include provision of evidence to inform interventions and policies that optimize cognitive resilience and reduce cognitive decline.Read moreRead less
Australian Laureate Fellowships - Grant ID: FL180100094
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$2,749,550.00
Summary
Responding to the challenge of identity change. This project aims to advance our understanding of factors that promote successful adjustment to collective-level change, which is imperative for well-being and the fabric of society. The psychological and financial cost of not understanding these dynamics is significant, and is at the forefront of concerns in organisational, educational, community and national contexts. This project will help elucidate the complexities of collective-level change an ....Responding to the challenge of identity change. This project aims to advance our understanding of factors that promote successful adjustment to collective-level change, which is imperative for well-being and the fabric of society. The psychological and financial cost of not understanding these dynamics is significant, and is at the forefront of concerns in organisational, educational, community and national contexts. This project will help elucidate the complexities of collective-level change and adjustment to such change, providing benefits to communities, organisations and policy makers. The project builds on The Social Identity Model of Identity Change (SIMIC), a theoretical approach which helps to understand how people might effectively cope with change; it forms the basis of an ambitious and integrated theoretical program of research that will examine SIMIC predictions in novel contexts.Read moreRead less
Attributions for food intake and the control of eating. When explaining why they ate as much as they did in a particular situation, people generally overestimate the role of their hunger or the taste of the food, and underestimate the impact of other factors such as how much food they are served or how much other people eat. This project will examine the motivation behind these mis-attributions, and will also examine the behavioural and emotional consequences of the attributions people make for ....Attributions for food intake and the control of eating. When explaining why they ate as much as they did in a particular situation, people generally overestimate the role of their hunger or the taste of the food, and underestimate the impact of other factors such as how much food they are served or how much other people eat. This project will examine the motivation behind these mis-attributions, and will also examine the behavioural and emotional consequences of the attributions people make for their food intake. By doing so, the proposed research will make a significant contribution to the theoretical understanding of people’s food intake, and can also have practical implications for helping people appropriately regulate their food intake.Read moreRead less
How do social and environmental cues influence food intake? This project will determine how social and environmental factors influence how much people eat. These insights will have theoretical implications for our understanding of what drives people's food intake, and will have practical implications for interventions aimed at curbing excess energy intake, weight gain, and obesity.