Investigating evidence of control system dynamics in visuomotor skill acquisition using multimodal functional magnetic resonance imaging. This project brings together mathematical and engineering methods with cognitive neuroscience in a novel way to better understand the fundamental processes associated with brain imaging, and the acquisition of motor skills. An improved understanding of the function of regions within the motor network will have a direct benefit for the rehabilitation of patient ....Investigating evidence of control system dynamics in visuomotor skill acquisition using multimodal functional magnetic resonance imaging. This project brings together mathematical and engineering methods with cognitive neuroscience in a novel way to better understand the fundamental processes associated with brain imaging, and the acquisition of motor skills. An improved understanding of the function of regions within the motor network will have a direct benefit for the rehabilitation of patients suffering motor deficits from developmental causes, following traumatic brain injuries, and after stroke and other neurodegenerative diseases. The outcomes of the research will also contribute to our understanding of the complexity of brain networks involved in motor skill acquisition.Read moreRead less
Integrating holistic processing and face-space approaches to the perception of facial identity. Recognising faces is a socially crucial task, and humans are remarkably good at it. Scientists investigating the 'software' our brains use to recognise faces have referred to two different theories -- one when explaining why we distinguish faces better than objects, and the other in explaining why we distinguish some people's faces more easily than others. The project aims to integrate these two theor ....Integrating holistic processing and face-space approaches to the perception of facial identity. Recognising faces is a socially crucial task, and humans are remarkably good at it. Scientists investigating the 'software' our brains use to recognise faces have referred to two different theories -- one when explaining why we distinguish faces better than objects, and the other in explaining why we distinguish some people's faces more easily than others. The project aims to integrate these two theories. This has two potential long-term benefits: it will give a stronger basis for understanding what goes wrong in people where face recognition does not develop normally; and, the improved knowledge from a biological system may also lead to improved computer face recognition algorithms (eg. for airport security).Read moreRead less