Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100915
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$345,000.00
Summary
Uncovering the dynamics of object selection from movement trajectories. This project aims to establish the dynamic properties of selection for perception and action, and develop a computational model of object selection across perception and action. Everyday actions depend on isolating the relevant object (perceptual selection) and appropriate grasp (action selection). It was long thought that distinct and sequential stages of processing carried out perceptual and action selection, but recent fi ....Uncovering the dynamics of object selection from movement trajectories. This project aims to establish the dynamic properties of selection for perception and action, and develop a computational model of object selection across perception and action. Everyday actions depend on isolating the relevant object (perceptual selection) and appropriate grasp (action selection). It was long thought that distinct and sequential stages of processing carried out perceptual and action selection, but recent findings suggested that a single mechanism may subserve both. Through a two-pronged approach including rigorous empirical work and computational modelling, this project aims to study this fundamental aspect of human cognition.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100868
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$336,284.00
Summary
Neural mechanisms of inhibitory control of human speech in stutterers and non-stutterers. Stopping oneself from speaking is a crucial communication function. In people who stutter, a disorder of this function causes their debilitating speech problem. This project will use cutting edge neuroimaging techniques to reveal how the brain stops speech in stutterers and in fluent speakers.
Tracking the Flow of Perceptual Information Through Decision Networks. The choices we make define our lives. Despite exciting progress in neuroscience, we still don’t know how the inner workings of the brain give rise to simple decisions. This project brings together experts from diverse domains of computational neuroscience to investigate how our brains turn perceptual information into action. Together, we will develop new methods to track information flow through the brain during the decision ....Tracking the Flow of Perceptual Information Through Decision Networks. The choices we make define our lives. Despite exciting progress in neuroscience, we still don’t know how the inner workings of the brain give rise to simple decisions. This project brings together experts from diverse domains of computational neuroscience to investigate how our brains turn perceptual information into action. Together, we will develop new methods to track information flow through the brain during the decision making process. By doing so, we will develop a world-leading model of how the brain makes decisions, and also provide the broader scientific community with a set of exciting new tools for studying information processing in the brain.Read moreRead less
Heterodensity neuroimaging techniques for spatiotemporal identification and localization. Australia is at the forefront of research that is taking brain imaging and interfacing out of the lab and into the field. The technology being developed is spawning applications in areas as diverse as health, education, defense and national security, and will lead to resolution of longstanding theoretical debates as well as enabling new breakthroughs in understanding the biological concomitants of psycholo ....Heterodensity neuroimaging techniques for spatiotemporal identification and localization. Australia is at the forefront of research that is taking brain imaging and interfacing out of the lab and into the field. The technology being developed is spawning applications in areas as diverse as health, education, defense and national security, and will lead to resolution of longstanding theoretical debates as well as enabling new breakthroughs in understanding the biological concomitants of psychological function. This is significant given the push to develop biometrics of psychological function with enhanced sensitivity and specificity in clinical diagnosis, along with defense applications in evaluation of critical personnel and training. It also opens up a range of applications for mental control of remote or prosthetic devices.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101290
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Age-related reorganisation of cortical networks subserving memory retrieval. This research project will use brain imaging to understand how the brain reorganises working memory when it ages. It will provide a framework for understanding age-related memory decline in the brain, which will in turn provide key information for understanding memory difficulties in clinical populations.
Decoding the neural representation of objects in the human brain. Humans can effortlessly recognise thousands of objects in a fraction of a second. This essential capacity is an integral part of our daily lives that allows us to recognise our keys, our car, our friends and family. This project will elucidate how humans recognise objects by investigating the neural representation of objects in the brain.
The emergence of logic in child language. This project investigates the development of logical expressions in Chinese and English. The project will promote intercultural awareness by establishing the degree to which typologically diverse languages share core logical properties. The findings are relevant for theories of language acquisition and logical reasoning, and will inform research in Linguistics, Philosophy and Psychology. The Neurosciences will benefit from data obtained using the brain i ....The emergence of logic in child language. This project investigates the development of logical expressions in Chinese and English. The project will promote intercultural awareness by establishing the degree to which typologically diverse languages share core logical properties. The findings are relevant for theories of language acquisition and logical reasoning, and will inform research in Linguistics, Philosophy and Psychology. The Neurosciences will benefit from data obtained using the brain imaging technique, Magnetoencephalography (MEG), for the first time with children, and these data will establish benchmarks for assessing early intervention in treating hearing disorders. The project will enhance collaborative research with Australia's neighbours in East Asia.Read moreRead less
Creating new methods to study structure vision. The majority of the structure within natural images is due to third to fifth order correlations between image points. Research has shown that sensitivity to this higher order structure, provides so called Structure Vision. Research has also shown that as few as three to four brain mechanisms are involved, and these may be related to the Minkowski functionals, which in turn are related to the structural and surface properties of real materials. This ....Creating new methods to study structure vision. The majority of the structure within natural images is due to third to fifth order correlations between image points. Research has shown that sensitivity to this higher order structure, provides so called Structure Vision. Research has also shown that as few as three to four brain mechanisms are involved, and these may be related to the Minkowski functionals, which in turn are related to the structural and surface properties of real materials. This project aims to build on recent discoveries of new stimuli to implement objective tests with which to study structure vision with the Partner Organisation. The project aims to also expand on realistic models of how Structure Vision may be computed by just a few coupled cortical pyramidal cells.Read moreRead less
Cortical regulation of attentional capture. The proposed experiments examine how brain mechanisms interact to determine whether a stimulus will capture our attention, distracting us from the task at hand. The experiments test competing theories of attentional control and have implications for clinical populations (for example, stroke) that have difficulty avoiding distraction.
Corpus callosum function in decision making. This project aims to investigate how the major connection between the two brain hemispheres (called the corpus callosum) is involved in higher cognitive functions such as decision making, learning, knowledge updating, and performance optimisation. New knowledge will be generated in the area of human cognition by combining computational theory with measures of cognition and brain MRI. Expected outcomes are to develop and advance computational models o ....Corpus callosum function in decision making. This project aims to investigate how the major connection between the two brain hemispheres (called the corpus callosum) is involved in higher cognitive functions such as decision making, learning, knowledge updating, and performance optimisation. New knowledge will be generated in the area of human cognition by combining computational theory with measures of cognition and brain MRI. Expected outcomes are to develop and advance computational models of human brain function and structure through interdisciplinary collaboration by combing theory and experimentation. Significant benefits will be to advance our understanding of the brain and enhance Australia's scientific capability through training and collaboration.Read moreRead less