I will use non-invasive brain stimulation to study the operation of the corticospinal pathway in humans while they perform tasks requiring precise control of fingers and thumb. This pathway from brain to spinal cord is important for independent finger movements, and these experiments will provide insight into the cortical mechanisms by which independent finger movements are produced. I will also investigate relationships between patterns of corticospinal activation (which I have shown differ bet ....I will use non-invasive brain stimulation to study the operation of the corticospinal pathway in humans while they perform tasks requiring precise control of fingers and thumb. This pathway from brain to spinal cord is important for independent finger movements, and these experiments will provide insight into the cortical mechanisms by which independent finger movements are produced. I will also investigate relationships between patterns of corticospinal activation (which I have shown differ between subjects and hands) and digital dexterity. While it seems reasonable to assume that digital dexterity is dependent on the operation of the corticospinal system, the relationship is obscure, even at a gross level. Digital dexterity can vary considerably between subjects, and even between hands in the same subject. Are people more skilled with their hands because they are better able to engage the corticospinal system in control of the digits? The present study will address this fundamental question. The brain stimulation techniques that I will use are the only techniques presently available which can answer these questions in humans. This information will assist us to understand how normal subjects perform skilled tasks with their hands, as well as helping us to understand how damage to the nervous system (e.g., stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's disease) produces deficits in movement control. The information gained may suggest training regimes for skill acquisition in normal subjects, and to promote recovery of function in patients with neurological damage or disease.Read moreRead less
Advancing Digital Inclusion In Low Income Australian Families - Bridgewater And Deception Bay
Funder
Australian Research Council, Queensland University of Technology
Summary
This ethnographic investigation explores the complex relationship between digital and social inclusion, and social infrastructure’s role (education facilities, charities, government services) in supporting low income families in six diverse communities from Far North Queensland to Tasmania, across diverse urban, regional and rural locations
Digital Skills For Health - Skills Solutions Partnership Program
Funder
Department of Jobs, Skills, Industry and Regions
Summary
The Skills Solutions Partnerships (SSP) program provides a platform for collaboration between government, industry, TAFEs and dual sector universities to design and pilot innovative short training approaches to rapidly address workforce skills gaps in priority sectors.
Advancing Digital Inclusion In Low-income Australian Families
Funder
Australian Research Council Linkage Program
Summary
Explores the complex relationship between digital and social inclusion, and social infrastructure's role (education facilities, charities, government services) in supporting low income families.
Lord Mayor's Charitable Foundation, The Eldon & Anne Foote Trust
Summary
This project aims to better understand the role of Open Access centres and how their services should adapt to meet the needs of their clients more effectively. A key goal of the project is to understand the types of participants who use these services.