Cognitive neuroscience of spatial asymmetry: behaviour, genes and brain imaging. When humans distribute their attention in space, biases or asymmetries of spatial attention exist. Healthy individuals exhibit a processing advantage favouring left space but this advantage is lost in disorders such as unilateral spatial neglect, ADHD and dyslexia. This project will develop novel electrophysiological methods to dissociate the sensory, attentional, decision-making and motoric contributions to spatial ....Cognitive neuroscience of spatial asymmetry: behaviour, genes and brain imaging. When humans distribute their attention in space, biases or asymmetries of spatial attention exist. Healthy individuals exhibit a processing advantage favouring left space but this advantage is lost in disorders such as unilateral spatial neglect, ADHD and dyslexia. This project will develop novel electrophysiological methods to dissociate the sensory, attentional, decision-making and motoric contributions to spatial asymmetries. By interfacing electrophysiology with genetic, neurochemical and brain imaging methods, this project will comprehensively map the biology of spatial asymmetry. This knowledge is vital to developing effective treatments for disorders where atypical patterns of spatial asymmetry index neurological vulnerability.Read moreRead less
Mapping, understanding and manipulating the human brain connectome with MRI. The human brain is an extraordinarily complex network, comprising millions of nerve cells connected by trillions of fibres. Understanding this intricate web of connectivity – the so-called human connectome – has become a central goal of neuroscience and is comparable in scale to the human genome project. This project will develop new brain imaging methods for accurately mapping the connectome. It will investigate how in ....Mapping, understanding and manipulating the human brain connectome with MRI. The human brain is an extraordinarily complex network, comprising millions of nerve cells connected by trillions of fibres. Understanding this intricate web of connectivity – the so-called human connectome – has become a central goal of neuroscience and is comparable in scale to the human genome project. This project will develop new brain imaging methods for accurately mapping the connectome. It will investigate how information is communicated between its different regions and how individual differences in brain network function relate to our genetic make-up. It will also determine whether we can manipulate the function of specific circuits of the connectome in a targeted way, in the hope of developing new treatments for brain disorders.Read moreRead less
Examining the neural mechanisms underlying cognitive control and its application to clinical syndromes featuring dyscontrol. This project will examine the cognitive control and its underlying neural mechanisms. Understanding this relationship is of major scientific interest because cognitive control dysfunction is related to a number of Australia's major social and economic problems, including drug dependence.
Enhancing Australia's Social Connectedness and Emotional Well-being. This project aims to redefine scientific understanding of why social connections are good for well-being, conceptualizing it as a process that involves successful regulation of emotions and behaviour. Effective social interventions require precise understanding of psychological process: the project will supply this understanding and leverage it to develop evidence-based interventions that grow social and emotional skills. Expec ....Enhancing Australia's Social Connectedness and Emotional Well-being. This project aims to redefine scientific understanding of why social connections are good for well-being, conceptualizing it as a process that involves successful regulation of emotions and behaviour. Effective social interventions require precise understanding of psychological process: the project will supply this understanding and leverage it to develop evidence-based interventions that grow social and emotional skills. Expected outcomes include generation of a novel literature at the intersection of social- and self-regulation and methodological innovations in the study of social connections. Significant benefits include creation of applied interventions with the potential to provide a ‘social cure’ for Australia’s loneliness problem.Read moreRead less
Modelling and manipulating brain network dynamics across the lifespan. This project aims to integrate advanced computational modelling and state-of-the-art recording techniques to generate new knowledge on the neural basis of ageing. People are said to grow wiser as they grow older, though more likely they will experience cognitive slowing and reduced memory functions that interfere with their daily lives. The anticipated goal of the project is to develop techniques to predict the personalised e ....Modelling and manipulating brain network dynamics across the lifespan. This project aims to integrate advanced computational modelling and state-of-the-art recording techniques to generate new knowledge on the neural basis of ageing. People are said to grow wiser as they grow older, though more likely they will experience cognitive slowing and reduced memory functions that interfere with their daily lives. The anticipated goal of the project is to develop techniques to predict the personalised effects of brain stimulation on the ageing brain. The outcomes of this research could significantly improve understanding of brain ageing, and advance the fields of systems neuroscience, network science, and brain stimulation.Read moreRead less
From neuroscience to society: A multi-disciplinary study of human perception and cognition. This project aims to use a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the factors influencing human perception and cognition - from the level of basic neuroscience, through to the wider impact felt by individuals and society when these functions are either impaired or enhanced. This will inform the basic research question of how the brain generates a conscious experience, identify the relationship between ....From neuroscience to society: A multi-disciplinary study of human perception and cognition. This project aims to use a multi-disciplinary approach to investigate the factors influencing human perception and cognition - from the level of basic neuroscience, through to the wider impact felt by individuals and society when these functions are either impaired or enhanced. This will inform the basic research question of how the brain generates a conscious experience, identify the relationship between altered visual cognitive function and clinical symptoms of psychosis, and determine the current prevalence and neuroethical issues associated with the non-medical use of drugs to enhance cognitive or perceptual function within Australia.Read moreRead less
Know thyself: Development of metacognition in childhood and adolescence. This project aims to advance our understanding of the development of children and adolescents’ insight into their own thoughts and behaviours, or metacognition. Individual differences in metacognition impact learning and contribute to the educational achievement gap observed in many countries, including Australia. By combining analysis of existing international cohort data and state-of-the art developmentally appropriate ne ....Know thyself: Development of metacognition in childhood and adolescence. This project aims to advance our understanding of the development of children and adolescents’ insight into their own thoughts and behaviours, or metacognition. Individual differences in metacognition impact learning and contribute to the educational achievement gap observed in many countries, including Australia. By combining analysis of existing international cohort data and state-of-the art developmentally appropriate neuroimaging methodology, the project is expected to create new basic research knowledge. An intended benefit is the development and evaluation of an evidence-based intervention to enhance the metacognitive skills of primary and secondary school pupils and improve their achievement in mathematics.Read moreRead less
Moral frontiers: When the needs of humans and nonhumans collide. Decision making about resources is not simply based on human needs alone. Issues relating to animal rights, biodiversity, and environmental protection weigh heavily in these debates. These issues are receiving increased attention at a time when the human (over)population of the planet is already placing pressure on scare resources, creating conflict between the needs of humans and non-humans. It is along our moral frontiers where t ....Moral frontiers: When the needs of humans and nonhumans collide. Decision making about resources is not simply based on human needs alone. Issues relating to animal rights, biodiversity, and environmental protection weigh heavily in these debates. These issues are receiving increased attention at a time when the human (over)population of the planet is already placing pressure on scare resources, creating conflict between the needs of humans and non-humans. It is along our moral frontiers where these conflicts will erupt and the rights and needs of humans and non-humans alike are given merit or discarded. This project will examine the psychological processes involved in extending moral concern to non-humans and the benefits and costs of this extended morality for the satisfaction of human needs.Read moreRead less
Charting the human brain connectome over the lifespan. This project aims to develop neuroimaging reference charts for the human connectome and track the vast individual variability in brain connectivity across the life course. Connectomes will be mapped using tractography and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data for 40,000 individuals, establishing the largest connectome biobank to date. Expected outcomes include an innovative lifespan brain charting platform, new paradigms to model individ ....Charting the human brain connectome over the lifespan. This project aims to develop neuroimaging reference charts for the human connectome and track the vast individual variability in brain connectivity across the life course. Connectomes will be mapped using tractography and diffusion magnetic resonance imaging data for 40,000 individuals, establishing the largest connectome biobank to date. Expected outcomes include an innovative lifespan brain charting platform, new paradigms to model individual brain variability and knowledge of how cognition, lifestyle and environment shape brain ageing. Brain charting will usher in a new era of precision connectomics, paving the way towards neuroscience-based personalisation of pathways in education, employment and wellbeing. Read moreRead less
The development of the social brain in early childhood. This project aims to understand how the human brain develops social and emotional understanding. The brain has remarkable abilities for understanding our social environment, such as inferring other people’s thoughts and feelings. This project will use neuroscience techniques to investigate how brain networks combine to produce social understanding, how this changes throughout child development, and how it relates to complex social behaviour ....The development of the social brain in early childhood. This project aims to understand how the human brain develops social and emotional understanding. The brain has remarkable abilities for understanding our social environment, such as inferring other people’s thoughts and feelings. This project will use neuroscience techniques to investigate how brain networks combine to produce social understanding, how this changes throughout child development, and how it relates to complex social behaviours. This project’s findings could be used to develop educational programmes that enhance empathy and co-operation, strengthen family relationships, promote social inclusion and reduce maladaptive behaviours. It could also guide intervention in brain disorders that affect social understanding.Read moreRead less