Identifying tear lipids, their deposition onto contact lenses and their role in the development of dry eye. Lipids provide a critical layer in the human tear film that retards evaporation and helps nourish and protect the eye. We will identify the molecules within this essential "oil slick" to better understand dry eye syndrome and the discomfort associated with wearing contact lenses. This may lead to new treatments for dry eye and novel technologies that provide greater comfort for the ~120,00 ....Identifying tear lipids, their deposition onto contact lenses and their role in the development of dry eye. Lipids provide a critical layer in the human tear film that retards evaporation and helps nourish and protect the eye. We will identify the molecules within this essential "oil slick" to better understand dry eye syndrome and the discomfort associated with wearing contact lenses. This may lead to new treatments for dry eye and novel technologies that provide greater comfort for the ~120,000 Australians who wear contact lenses. This collaborative research directly supports the mission of a respected non-profit organisation (Institute for Eye Research) and will train scientists in world-leading analytical technologies that are essential to Australia's emerging biotechnology industries.Read moreRead less
Novel Neural Interfaces and Instrumentation for Stimulation and Monitoring of Retinal Activation in an Epiretinal Vision Prosthesis. Australia's reputation in medical neuroprostheses is second to none with the most notable example being the 'bionic ear' for the deaf. This research compliments that reputation by advancing science and engineering knowledge towards achieving a truly beneficial prosthesis for the blind, a 'bionic eye'. This research will also advance our capacity to address other a ....Novel Neural Interfaces and Instrumentation for Stimulation and Monitoring of Retinal Activation in an Epiretinal Vision Prosthesis. Australia's reputation in medical neuroprostheses is second to none with the most notable example being the 'bionic ear' for the deaf. This research compliments that reputation by advancing science and engineering knowledge towards achieving a truly beneficial prosthesis for the blind, a 'bionic eye'. This research will also advance our capacity to address other areas of therapeutic medical implants including those for limb movement to the paralysed. Benefits to the community include the very real possibility of restoring some visual capacity to the blind thus improving their quality of life through improved mobility, social interaction, and mental health. Read moreRead less
Logic and language: Foundations of cognitive growth. This project investigates children's competence in using language, from a biological perspective. The past twenty years has witnessed innovative developments in behavioral measures (e.g., eye-movement recording) and computational models of language development. I propose to integrate this research with the study of the neural basis of cognitive processes, using a new methodology for functional brain imaging, magnetoencephalography (MEG), The p ....Logic and language: Foundations of cognitive growth. This project investigates children's competence in using language, from a biological perspective. The past twenty years has witnessed innovative developments in behavioral measures (e.g., eye-movement recording) and computational models of language development. I propose to integrate this research with the study of the neural basis of cognitive processes, using a new methodology for functional brain imaging, magnetoencephalography (MEG), The project combines behavioral, computational, and biological methods to better understand (a) the nature of linguistic knowledge, (b) how logical expressions are acquired, and (c) how knowledge of logic and language are put to use by children in production and comprehension.Read moreRead less