Target detection in visual clutter. The interdisciplinary nature of the project will offer a stimulating environment for training a postdoctoral worker in the hot topic of computational neuroscience. While computationally expensive solutions to moving target detection in clutter have been implemented using conventional engineering, this project will offer insight into the efficiency of the biological brain (with benefit of millions of years of evolution towards compact, economical and optimal so ....Target detection in visual clutter. The interdisciplinary nature of the project will offer a stimulating environment for training a postdoctoral worker in the hot topic of computational neuroscience. While computationally expensive solutions to moving target detection in clutter have been implemented using conventional engineering, this project will offer insight into the efficiency of the biological brain (with benefit of millions of years of evolution towards compact, economical and optimal solutions). The results will assist development of efficient artificial intelligence. It will also assist our ongoing collaborations with defence partners to develop and apply algorithms in artificial vision systems. Read moreRead less
Plasticity of gastrointestinal vagal afferents. The aim of this project is to identify how leptin modulates specific subtypes of vagal afferent within the gut and the plasticity of this system under different dietary conditions. This proposed project will substantially increase understanding of the interactions between leptin, known to influence food intake, and vagal afferent satiety signals. It will also increase understanding of how these interactions alter in obesity and ultimately provide t ....Plasticity of gastrointestinal vagal afferents. The aim of this project is to identify how leptin modulates specific subtypes of vagal afferent within the gut and the plasticity of this system under different dietary conditions. This proposed project will substantially increase understanding of the interactions between leptin, known to influence food intake, and vagal afferent satiety signals. It will also increase understanding of how these interactions alter in obesity and ultimately provide targets and/or concepts for the pharmacotherapy of obesity.Read moreRead less
Central pathways regulating visceral pain. This project aims to investigate the neural pathways within the spinal cord and brain processing colorectal pain perception. The project aims to identify the spinal cord neurons relaying colorectal signalling into the brain and the influence of descending modulation from the brainstem upon these pathways. The outcomes will greatly benefit fundamental understanding of the central pathways processing visceral pain.
Neural mechanisms for visual target detection and attention in complex scenes. This project will study neurons in the insect brain that solve one of the biggest problems for computer vision systems - tracking the motion of tiny targets moving against strongly camouflaged backgrounds. The results will be used to develop a novel biologically inspired model for target tracking with applications for smart cameras and robotics.
Understanding and Modelling Insect Motion Vision. The interdisciplinary project proposed will offer a stimulating environment for research/training into computational neuroscience, an attractive area for aspiring scientists. We have already demonstrated the feasibility of transferring physiology into applications, and expect this project to deliver functional motion vision models and devices. Our proposed work will have an impact beyond the advancement of neuro-physiology as knowledge gained is ....Understanding and Modelling Insect Motion Vision. The interdisciplinary project proposed will offer a stimulating environment for research/training into computational neuroscience, an attractive area for aspiring scientists. We have already demonstrated the feasibility of transferring physiology into applications, and expect this project to deliver functional motion vision models and devices. Our proposed work will have an impact beyond the advancement of neuro-physiology as knowledge gained is applicable in a range of areas, with applications in miniature unmanned vehicles and collision avoidance detectors in defence and civilian roles. Our project could also assist in the development of artificial intelligence and as a basis for designing implantable artificial eyes.Read moreRead less
Target detection in three-dimensional optic flow. This project aims to understand the behavioural, neural, and computational mechanisms underlying the visualisation of moving targets. Insects have poorer eyesight and smaller brains than humans, but can chase small targets at high speed. This project will use intracellular electrophysiology, information content analysis and model development to decipher the underlying neural tuning mechanisms of hoverflies, which could suggest advanced computatio ....Target detection in three-dimensional optic flow. This project aims to understand the behavioural, neural, and computational mechanisms underlying the visualisation of moving targets. Insects have poorer eyesight and smaller brains than humans, but can chase small targets at high speed. This project will use intracellular electrophysiology, information content analysis and model development to decipher the underlying neural tuning mechanisms of hoverflies, which could suggest advanced computational optimisation and miniaturisation. The project may generate algorithms for rapid and reliable information extraction from large, noisy inputs, useful for developing unmanned vehicles and in Big Data analysis. The results could be useful in developing anti-collision control systems in vehicles using less computational power.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100548
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$359,000.00
Summary
Neural and robotic correlates of predictive coding and selective attention. Whether a human catching a ball, a dog leaping at a frisbee or a dragonfly hunting prey amidst a swarm, brains both large and small have evolved the ability to focus attention on one moving target, even in the presence of distracters. This project aims to investigate how brains solve this challenging problem by recording the activity of dragonfly neurons that selectively attend to one target whilst ignoring others. The p ....Neural and robotic correlates of predictive coding and selective attention. Whether a human catching a ball, a dog leaping at a frisbee or a dragonfly hunting prey amidst a swarm, brains both large and small have evolved the ability to focus attention on one moving target, even in the presence of distracters. This project aims to investigate how brains solve this challenging problem by recording the activity of dragonfly neurons that selectively attend to one target whilst ignoring others. The project aims to examine how expectation and attention are encoded in the brain and will build an autonomous robot using computational models bio-inspired from this neuronal processing. Robots capable of visually perceiving and interacting with targets in natural environments have applications in health, surveillance and defence.Read moreRead less
Hierarchical information processing in the primate visual cortex. This project aims to understand how visual information is transformed across hierarchical levels in the brain. Neuroscientists have long recognised that the visual cortex can be conceptualised as a hierarchical processing network. This became apparent when learning algorithms based on hierarchical networks ("deep learning") changed artificial intelligence. This project will combine high-throughput electrophysiology with analytical ....Hierarchical information processing in the primate visual cortex. This project aims to understand how visual information is transformed across hierarchical levels in the brain. Neuroscientists have long recognised that the visual cortex can be conceptualised as a hierarchical processing network. This became apparent when learning algorithms based on hierarchical networks ("deep learning") changed artificial intelligence. This project will combine high-throughput electrophysiology with analytical tools adopted from deep learning. By explaining the physiological properties of higher-level neurons in terms of hierarchical networks, the project expects to address long standing questions in neuroscience, and provide insights on biological hierarchical computation.Read moreRead less