Pattern recognition in animals and machines: using machine learning to reveal cues central to the identification of individuals. The power to recognise individuals of a species requires significant image and pattern discrimination abilities. Yet, individual recognition has been found in a huge range of species, from humans to invertebrates demonstrating its importance for social interactions. The project will investigate this ability in lower vertebrates (fish, with no visual cortex), so as to u ....Pattern recognition in animals and machines: using machine learning to reveal cues central to the identification of individuals. The power to recognise individuals of a species requires significant image and pattern discrimination abilities. Yet, individual recognition has been found in a huge range of species, from humans to invertebrates demonstrating its importance for social interactions. The project will investigate this ability in lower vertebrates (fish, with no visual cortex), so as to understand the underlying mechanisms of pattern discrimination. The project will also test how robust this ability is during changes in water quality (elevated carbon dioxide levels and increased turbidity). The outcomes will further our knowledge base in lower vertebrate vision and evolution, and also have implications for human vision, image analysis, and artificial vision.Read moreRead less
Melanopsin function in humans. This project aims to understand melanopsin signalling in humans. A newly discovered retinal ganglion cell class expresses the melanopsin photopigment. Melanopsin signalling controls neural functions for light dependent image formation and non-image forming processes. Many of these are unknown in humans. This project will use a 5-primary photostimulator to define how melanopsin controls these processes in humans. The outcomes are expected to advance understanding of ....Melanopsin function in humans. This project aims to understand melanopsin signalling in humans. A newly discovered retinal ganglion cell class expresses the melanopsin photopigment. Melanopsin signalling controls neural functions for light dependent image formation and non-image forming processes. Many of these are unknown in humans. This project will use a 5-primary photostimulator to define how melanopsin controls these processes in humans. The outcomes are expected to advance understanding of human vision. This could provide avenues for using light to increase active participation in society and improve health and well-being, and strategies to assess human vision and the body’s internal clock.Read moreRead less
Neural origins of conscious perception in no-report paradigms. This project aims to test two highly influential theories of consciousness. The project will be the first to test critical experimental conditions, where neural activities are recorded in humans and novel measures of causality are computed, which allows us to distinguish the two theories. The intended outcomes will provide significant benefits by bringing us closer to solve the mind-body problem. These outcomes can contribute to the ....Neural origins of conscious perception in no-report paradigms. This project aims to test two highly influential theories of consciousness. The project will be the first to test critical experimental conditions, where neural activities are recorded in humans and novel measures of causality are computed, which allows us to distinguish the two theories. The intended outcomes will provide significant benefits by bringing us closer to solve the mind-body problem. These outcomes can contribute to the development of engineering and clinical devices that utilise objective measures of consciousness.Read moreRead less
Testing posterior parietal cortex contributions to human episodic memory. This project aims to determine the involvement of parietal brain regions for episodic memory. Using novel experimental tasks and multimodal neuroimaging techniques in young and healthy aging, this project expects to clarify the role of posterior parietal structures, and their interactions with core memory structures, during memory retrieval. Expected outcomes include advanced understanding of how we remember the past in ri ....Testing posterior parietal cortex contributions to human episodic memory. This project aims to determine the involvement of parietal brain regions for episodic memory. Using novel experimental tasks and multimodal neuroimaging techniques in young and healthy aging, this project expects to clarify the role of posterior parietal structures, and their interactions with core memory structures, during memory retrieval. Expected outcomes include advanced understanding of how we remember the past in rich contextual detail, and how such processes are altered in healthy aging. This potentially provides significant benefits in predicting and treating memory dysfunction due to brain injury or neurodegeneration.Read moreRead less
Human hippocampus subregions organisation and associative memory processes. This proposal will investigate the hippocampus, a highly inter-connected structure containing many subregions. Although considered the memory centre of the brain, we still do not know the exact roles of these subregions during memory processes. Using novel brain neuroimaging acquisition methods and analyses, this project aims to map the internal structure and functions of the hippocampus and its functional networks under ....Human hippocampus subregions organisation and associative memory processes. This proposal will investigate the hippocampus, a highly inter-connected structure containing many subregions. Although considered the memory centre of the brain, we still do not know the exact roles of these subregions during memory processes. Using novel brain neuroimaging acquisition methods and analyses, this project aims to map the internal structure and functions of the hippocampus and its functional networks under different memory conditions and how these functions change with age. The intended outcome of this proposal is to provide the foundations for the first integrated model of human memory and its biological basis and to generate a benchmark against which future development of memory interventions and retraining can be measured.Read moreRead less
Charting age-related changes in the quality of episodic memory. As we get older, our capacity to remember events in rich detail becomes less efficient. The mechanisms driving these changes remain unclear, severely limiting our capacity to accurately assess and optimise memory function in later years. This project aims to determine how memory accuracy and memory quality change across the adult lifespan using cutting-edge experimental and neuroimaging techniques. It will deliver new insights into ....Charting age-related changes in the quality of episodic memory. As we get older, our capacity to remember events in rich detail becomes less efficient. The mechanisms driving these changes remain unclear, severely limiting our capacity to accurately assess and optimise memory function in later years. This project aims to determine how memory accuracy and memory quality change across the adult lifespan using cutting-edge experimental and neuroimaging techniques. It will deliver new insights into the relationship between confidence, memory success and memory quality, and the underlying neural substrates of these processes. This work will provide the essential empirical foundation to augment memory function, ensuring that older adults can continue to participate as active members of society.Read moreRead less
Individualised predictions of circadian timing, sleep, and performance. The body's 24-hour clock regulates when we feel sleepy or alert. In shift workers, disrupted sleep and rhythms leads to fatigue and costly, often deadly, workplace accidents. Existing methods for measuring body clock timing are costly, impractical for operational settings, and do not work in real time. Using a shift-worker population, this project will develop models that accurately predict body timing, sleep/wake patterns, ....Individualised predictions of circadian timing, sleep, and performance. The body's 24-hour clock regulates when we feel sleepy or alert. In shift workers, disrupted sleep and rhythms leads to fatigue and costly, often deadly, workplace accidents. Existing methods for measuring body clock timing are costly, impractical for operational settings, and do not work in real time. Using a shift-worker population, this project will develop models that accurately predict body timing, sleep/wake patterns, and performance for an individual, requiring only a simple activity/light sensor and an assessment of the body clock's sensitivity to light. The new model would revolutionise fatigue management and make safer work environments for millions of shift workers. Read moreRead less
Using shape change for object perception: human and artificial vision. This project aims to examine the steps taken by the visual system to code the shape of objects, including those that change shape over time. The project seeks to employ experiments assessing human vision and machine learning techniques to examine these codes and, in particular, focus on the advantages of a system that exaggerates shape change over time. Expected outcomes include an improved shape code based on superior human ....Using shape change for object perception: human and artificial vision. This project aims to examine the steps taken by the visual system to code the shape of objects, including those that change shape over time. The project seeks to employ experiments assessing human vision and machine learning techniques to examine these codes and, in particular, focus on the advantages of a system that exaggerates shape change over time. Expected outcomes include an improved shape code based on superior human performance that can have many applications in automated visual systems. This project can directly benefit the animation industries where the creation of realistic movement of humans and animals remains a computationally intensive challenge.Read moreRead less
Neural circuitry of maternal behaviour. Elaborate maternal care is a defining characteristic of mammalian species, suggesting conserved brain pathways evolved to orchestrate these responses. The neural substrates underscoring maternal behaviour have not been fully elucidated. This project aims to investigate the brain circuitry underpinning maternal care using a multidisciplinary approach combining behavioural assays and pharmacogenetic manipulations in mice alongside sophisticated molecular and ....Neural circuitry of maternal behaviour. Elaborate maternal care is a defining characteristic of mammalian species, suggesting conserved brain pathways evolved to orchestrate these responses. The neural substrates underscoring maternal behaviour have not been fully elucidated. This project aims to investigate the brain circuitry underpinning maternal care using a multidisciplinary approach combining behavioural assays and pharmacogenetic manipulations in mice alongside sophisticated molecular and functional analyses. The outcomes of this project are expected to improve our understanding of how specific brain pathways govern maternal behaviour. The novel insight gained is expected to advance theories regarding the organisation of maternal care and enable their practical testing.Read moreRead less
Neural substrates of higher-order conditioned fear. Higher-order conditioning processes are thought to contribute to the maintenance of maladaptive behaviours such as clinical anxiety, however, little is known about the psychological and neural processes by which this conditioning occurs. Accordingly, this project uses an animal model to investigate these substrates.