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
The causes of intrusive memories. Intrusive memories are pivotal to many psychological disorders. This project will extend current models of intrusive memories by integrating biological, cognitive, and neural measures to specify the causes of these memories.
Placing prediction into the fear circuit. How do we predict danger in our world? This project will identify the psychological mechanisms and brain pathways that allow us to learn to fear and to also overcome fear when it becomes pathological.
The impact of motherhood on fear extinction in rats. This project aims to identify how motherhood, a time of significant hormonal flux, alters the mechanisms underlying fear regulation in female rats. Current theories of fear regulation are limited because they have been derived from studies that have focused on males but recent work suggests that sex hormones influence fear regulation. The expected outcomes of this project will help to develop a more ecologically valid model of fear regulation ....The impact of motherhood on fear extinction in rats. This project aims to identify how motherhood, a time of significant hormonal flux, alters the mechanisms underlying fear regulation in female rats. Current theories of fear regulation are limited because they have been derived from studies that have focused on males but recent work suggests that sex hormones influence fear regulation. The expected outcomes of this project will help to develop a more ecologically valid model of fear regulation that accounts for fluctuations in female sex hormones and reproductive experience. This should provide unique insights into fear reduction and protection against anxiety.Read moreRead less
Understanding the emotional brain in risk for depression. The burden of illness due to depression is enormous; family disruption, lost productivity and a high healthcare spend. There are no objective ways to target who will benefit most from preventative programs. This study will detail for the first time how genetic risk may develop into overt depression due to effects on emotional brain systems.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100392
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$340,000.00
Summary
Impaired fear inhibition in adolescence. This project aims to test whether an imbalance in the adolescent brain impairs fear regulation. Recent evidence shows that adolescents, both rodent and human, do not effectively inhibit fear. This project will systematically isolate the role of specific neural circuits by selectively manipulating their activity in a cell type specific manner during fear inhibition in adolescent rats. Understanding neural processes that impair fear regulation during a vuln ....Impaired fear inhibition in adolescence. This project aims to test whether an imbalance in the adolescent brain impairs fear regulation. Recent evidence shows that adolescents, both rodent and human, do not effectively inhibit fear. This project will systematically isolate the role of specific neural circuits by selectively manipulating their activity in a cell type specific manner during fear inhibition in adolescent rats. Understanding neural processes that impair fear regulation during a vulnerable period of development could lead to a more complete neurobiological theory of fear regulation in adolescence, and improve treatments for anxious youth.Read moreRead less
A cross-species investigation of individual differences in fear regulation. This project aims to determine the utility of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), a naturally produced protein, as a biomarker of individual differences in fear responses, and as an enhancer of fear regulation. A cross-species translational approach will be employed, incorporating evidence from fear conditioning and extinction studies in rats, healthy humans, and clinical populations. The outcomes of this project are expe ....A cross-species investigation of individual differences in fear regulation. This project aims to determine the utility of fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), a naturally produced protein, as a biomarker of individual differences in fear responses, and as an enhancer of fear regulation. A cross-species translational approach will be employed, incorporating evidence from fear conditioning and extinction studies in rats, healthy humans, and clinical populations. The outcomes of this project are expected to show how natural variations in FGF2 levels are related to resilience following adversity, and how manipulations that increase FGF2 levels can augment resilience. The intended outcomes may lead to improved ways of identifying people who are at risk of developing anxiety, and novel ways of treating anxiety.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101384
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$345,000.00
Summary
Neural circuits underlying the reinstatement of food reward-seeking. This project aims to map out the neural circuits and mechanisms underlying the reinstatement of palatable food-seeking behaviour. Despite various dietary strategies to promote weight loss in obese/overweight individuals, the wide availability of environmental food cues can reinstate palatable food-seeking behaviours, thus negating weight loss efforts. The intended outcome of this project is a better mechanistic understanding of ....Neural circuits underlying the reinstatement of food reward-seeking. This project aims to map out the neural circuits and mechanisms underlying the reinstatement of palatable food-seeking behaviour. Despite various dietary strategies to promote weight loss in obese/overweight individuals, the wide availability of environmental food cues can reinstate palatable food-seeking behaviours, thus negating weight loss efforts. The intended outcome of this project is a better mechanistic understanding of the reinstatement of food reward-seeking behaviour to help relieve the national economic burden of obesity and to improve the cost-effectiveness of weight loss strategies.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100243
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
The regulation of fearful emotions: novel insights from the female brain. Sex differences in emotion regulation are widely documented, yet current models of fear inhibition are based on the male brain. This project aims to investigate the impact of sex hormones on fear inhibition in female rats. This project is significant because it will lead to the development of a more complete neurobiological model of fear inhibition that accounts for the impact of sex. It will innovatively bridge the gap be ....The regulation of fearful emotions: novel insights from the female brain. Sex differences in emotion regulation are widely documented, yet current models of fear inhibition are based on the male brain. This project aims to investigate the impact of sex hormones on fear inhibition in female rats. This project is significant because it will lead to the development of a more complete neurobiological model of fear inhibition that accounts for the impact of sex. It will innovatively bridge the gap between research on fear inhibition and hormonal modulation of brain plasticity. The outcomes will provide unique insights into how naturally occurring hormones alter fear inhibition, and may identify a neurobiological mechanism underlying sex differences in emotion regulation and emotional disorders.Read moreRead less
When is extinction not extinction? Disorders of fear and anxiety are widespread and impose significant burdens on individual sufferers and their families. This projects studies new ways of augmenting loss of fear and will identify the important behavioural mechanisms as well as critical brain pathways for this fear loss.