Using eye movements to study how past experiences shape expectations. We intend to examine how the brain decides where to look next with our eyes, a decision made approximately three times every second. Understanding how the normal brain makes decisions will in turn help us to understand what happens when things go wrong in diseases like dementia and Parkinson's disease, with the hope of better - and earlier - diagnosis, and improved monitoring of treatment. In addition, our research will establ ....Using eye movements to study how past experiences shape expectations. We intend to examine how the brain decides where to look next with our eyes, a decision made approximately three times every second. Understanding how the normal brain makes decisions will in turn help us to understand what happens when things go wrong in diseases like dementia and Parkinson's disease, with the hope of better - and earlier - diagnosis, and improved monitoring of treatment. In addition, our research will establish an important research link with The University of Cambridge, and allow Australia to be competitive with laboratories in North America and Europe that are currently studying how the brain makes decisions about where to look.Read moreRead less
Getting back on track after the unexpected happens: decision making in predictable and unpredictable environments. This project intends to examine how the brain decides where to look next with our eyes, a decision made approximately three times every second. Understanding how the normal brain makes decisions will in turn help us to understand what happens when things go wrong in diseases like dementia and Parkinson's disease.
The Functional Significance of Motor Laterality. Just as humans are left- or right-handed, dogs are left-and right-pawed and, most importantly, left-pawed individuals tend towards innate fearfulness. Using dogs as a model, this project will explore lateralisation in general.
Guide dogs and police dogs are required to work only on one side of their handlers. This convention is likely to affect the work of individual dogs. This project will examine the extent to which pawedness predicts success ....The Functional Significance of Motor Laterality. Just as humans are left- or right-handed, dogs are left-and right-pawed and, most importantly, left-pawed individuals tend towards innate fearfulness. Using dogs as a model, this project will explore lateralisation in general.
Guide dogs and police dogs are required to work only on one side of their handlers. This convention is likely to affect the work of individual dogs. This project will examine the extent to which pawedness predicts success in working dog training. It has the potential to reduce wastage that comes from recruitment of unsuitable dogs and will also improve our understanding of family pets.
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Does word similarity across languages help or hinder bilingual speakers? This project aims to understand in more detail how bilinguals can accurately speak in both their languages. Speaking is a complex skill, particularly if you have two languages to choose from, which will be true for over half of Australia’s population by 2025. This project aims to investigate the factors that influence speech production in both monolinguals and bilinguals including those with language impairment, and develop ....Does word similarity across languages help or hinder bilingual speakers? This project aims to understand in more detail how bilinguals can accurately speak in both their languages. Speaking is a complex skill, particularly if you have two languages to choose from, which will be true for over half of Australia’s population by 2025. This project aims to investigate the factors that influence speech production in both monolinguals and bilinguals including those with language impairment, and develop a better bilingual theory. The benefit of this new theory will be to provide a clear basis for diagnosis and treatment for children in bilingual households who have problems learning to speak, and for bilingual people with language problems after a stroke or dementia.Read moreRead less
Using large scale modelling to understand reading development and dyslexia. This project aims to construct a computational model of reading that makes quantitative predictions about reading behaviour and dyslexia. It will test theories of reading development and dyslexia based on what they predict in terms of reading performance, predictions which many theories of dyslexia do not make. The model will be in English, French and Italian, which offer rich and constraining data to test the model. The ....Using large scale modelling to understand reading development and dyslexia. This project aims to construct a computational model of reading that makes quantitative predictions about reading behaviour and dyslexia. It will test theories of reading development and dyslexia based on what they predict in terms of reading performance, predictions which many theories of dyslexia do not make. The model will be in English, French and Italian, which offer rich and constraining data to test the model. The project is expected to explain the link between reading performance and underlying influences and why dyslexia manifests differently in different languages.Read moreRead less
Epigenetic mechanisms regulating sex differences in fear-related learning and memory. Anxiety disorders represent an enormous burden on society and are associated with premature aging and infertility in men and women. Evidence also indicates that parental anxiety affects child development. Given that fear-related learning has an important influence on emotional health which, in turn, affects lifestyle and the aging process, an understanding of the neural mechanisms mediating sex differences in ....Epigenetic mechanisms regulating sex differences in fear-related learning and memory. Anxiety disorders represent an enormous burden on society and are associated with premature aging and infertility in men and women. Evidence also indicates that parental anxiety affects child development. Given that fear-related learning has an important influence on emotional health which, in turn, affects lifestyle and the aging process, an understanding of the neural mechanisms mediating sex differences in fear learning will enhance our ability to develop better therapeutic approaches for treating anxiety and preventing relapse, potentially through a gender-specific approach. The studies outlined in this proposal will have implications for promoting and maintaining good health.Read moreRead less
Concepts and control in speech production. While humans produce speech fluently in the course of everyday conversation, comparatively little is understood about the underlying mental processes and brain mechanisms. The overall aim of this project is to investigate how the human brain conceives and controls speech output by using state-of-the-art neuroimaging and brain stimulation techniques. The research aims to contribute novel insights into a key human ability with particular relevance for spe ....Concepts and control in speech production. While humans produce speech fluently in the course of everyday conversation, comparatively little is understood about the underlying mental processes and brain mechanisms. The overall aim of this project is to investigate how the human brain conceives and controls speech output by using state-of-the-art neuroimaging and brain stimulation techniques. The research aims to contribute novel insights into a key human ability with particular relevance for speech disorders such as aphasia, while the methods developed for brain stimulation during imaging of speech production aim to expand Australia's capability and technical innovation in the cognitive neuroscience of language.Read moreRead less
Beyond Speech: Towards better communication for children with hearing loss. Despite the benefits of early newborn hearing screening and early intervention programs for children with hearing loss, most still experience academic and social challenges at school. This is partly due to ongoing listening effort, leading to communicative breakdown. This project aims to identify the locus of the communicative challenges these children face during daily discourse interactions. The outcomes will identify ....Beyond Speech: Towards better communication for children with hearing loss. Despite the benefits of early newborn hearing screening and early intervention programs for children with hearing loss, most still experience academic and social challenges at school. This is partly due to ongoing listening effort, leading to communicative breakdown. This project aims to identify the locus of the communicative challenges these children face during daily discourse interactions. The outcomes will identify which levels of language are most compromised and will inform future interventions to reduce children’s listening effort. This will be undertaken by bringing together researchers in basic science with hearing service providers, parents and industry, providing an innovative model for solving multidisciplinary challenges.Read moreRead less
The basis of conscious thought. The science and philosophy of consciousness has made much progress in recent years, and the study of conscious thought is the next frontier. The project will place Australian research on the leading edge of this area. An international network of researchers will analyse both the neurobiological basis and the subjective experience of conscious thought, yielding a unified account of conscious thinking from the first-person and third-person perspectives. The resultin ....The basis of conscious thought. The science and philosophy of consciousness has made much progress in recent years, and the study of conscious thought is the next frontier. The project will place Australian research on the leading edge of this area. An international network of researchers will analyse both the neurobiological basis and the subjective experience of conscious thought, yielding a unified account of conscious thinking from the first-person and third-person perspectives. The resulting account will illuminate the nature of human thinking and reasoning, and will be applied to the detection of consciousness in post-coma patients.Read moreRead less
Characterisation of monoaminergic transmission in Central Amygdala. This project will identify the distribution and function of dopamine, serotonin and noradrenalin receptors on the various cell types and their inputs, in the medial, lateral and capsular divisions of Central Amygdala (CeA). We will test for tonic endogenous activation of monoaminergic receptors and synaptic release from electrically stimulated fibers terminating in CeA. Using paired recordings and calcium imaging, we will invest ....Characterisation of monoaminergic transmission in Central Amygdala. This project will identify the distribution and function of dopamine, serotonin and noradrenalin receptors on the various cell types and their inputs, in the medial, lateral and capsular divisions of Central Amygdala (CeA). We will test for tonic endogenous activation of monoaminergic receptors and synaptic release from electrically stimulated fibers terminating in CeA. Using paired recordings and calcium imaging, we will investigate intracellular mechanisms underlying monoamine receptor mediated effects. These findings when correlated with published behavioural studies will provide greater understanding of the role of the divisions of CeA and the inputs they receive, in the function of the amygdala.Read moreRead less