Language, belief formation and visual cognition: cognitive and neuropsychological investigations. I will direct a programme of research and research training in cognitive science and cognitive neuropsychology at macquarie universtiy, with international collaborative links to the USA, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Germany & New Zealand. This programme of research and research training will initially focus on
a)how people understand and produce language, and how these capabilities can break down ....Language, belief formation and visual cognition: cognitive and neuropsychological investigations. I will direct a programme of research and research training in cognitive science and cognitive neuropsychology at macquarie universtiy, with international collaborative links to the USA, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Germany & New Zealand. This programme of research and research training will initially focus on
a)how people understand and produce language, and how these capabilities can break down after brain damage;
b)The relationship between visual memory and reading; and
c)The nature of the delusions seen in schizophrenia and other disorders, and what causes these delusions.Read moreRead less
Long-term memory systems and the human brain. Impairment of memory is a ubiquitous feature of human brain disease. A better understanding of memory processing in the brain is key to the development of better tests for the detection and monitoring of disease progression as well as the application of improved methods of rehabilitation for patients with acquired brain injury. This project will provide the catalyst for the development of a National Memory Disorders Research Centre that would be the ....Long-term memory systems and the human brain. Impairment of memory is a ubiquitous feature of human brain disease. A better understanding of memory processing in the brain is key to the development of better tests for the detection and monitoring of disease progression as well as the application of improved methods of rehabilitation for patients with acquired brain injury. This project will provide the catalyst for the development of a National Memory Disorders Research Centre that would be the focus for multidisciplinary cognitive neuroscience research. The ultimate aim would be the translation of basic neuroscience into effective tools that will impact the health outcome of the ageing population.Read moreRead less
Human long-term memory and social cognition: an integrated cognitive neuroscience approach. Impairment of memory is a ubiquitous feature of the dementias and a better understanding of memory processing in the brain is key to the development of better tests for the early detection and monitoring of disease progression. The study of social cognition is relevant to a range of developmental, psychiatric and neurological disorders. This project will provide the catalyst for the development of a Natio ....Human long-term memory and social cognition: an integrated cognitive neuroscience approach. Impairment of memory is a ubiquitous feature of the dementias and a better understanding of memory processing in the brain is key to the development of better tests for the early detection and monitoring of disease progression. The study of social cognition is relevant to a range of developmental, psychiatric and neurological disorders. This project will provide the catalyst for the development of a National Memory and Cognitive Disorders Centre that would be the focus for multidisciplinary cognitive neuroscience research. The ultimate aim would be the translation of basic neuroscience into effective tools that will impact the health outcomes of the ageing population.Read moreRead less
Cellular Plasticity in the Brain: discovering molecular mechanisms controlling the production of neurons during brain development, function, ageing and disease. The program aims to understand the mechanisms regulating Brain Plasticity - this recently discovered property of the brain to respond to environmental stimuli, both physiological and pathological, by producing new functional neurons. Specifically, the program will discover how the brain's stem cells are stimulated to produce new neurons. ....Cellular Plasticity in the Brain: discovering molecular mechanisms controlling the production of neurons during brain development, function, ageing and disease. The program aims to understand the mechanisms regulating Brain Plasticity - this recently discovered property of the brain to respond to environmental stimuli, both physiological and pathological, by producing new functional neurons. Specifically, the program will discover how the brain's stem cells are stimulated to produce new neurons. This understanding will significantly expand our knowledge of how the brain develops, and how functions, like memory, are modulated by neuronal replacement. Discoveries will underpin the development of, in association with Australia's biotechnology sector, a new generation of therapeutics, which treat neurological diseases, like Stroke, by stimulating the production of functional neurons.Read moreRead less
The Contents of Consciousness. This project aims to develop a research centre that will be a world leader in the study of consciousness. The focus will be the question: how does human consciousness represent the world? The science of consciousness has seen explosive growth internationally in the last decade, but the relationship between consciousness and representation is not well-understood. Through local and international collaboration, researchers will develop a framework for understanding ....The Contents of Consciousness. This project aims to develop a research centre that will be a world leader in the study of consciousness. The focus will be the question: how does human consciousness represent the world? The science of consciousness has seen explosive growth internationally in the last decade, but the relationship between consciousness and representation is not well-understood. Through local and international collaboration, researchers will develop a framework for understanding the representational content of consciousness and will analyze experimental work at the leading edge of neuroscience and cognitive science. This will help us to understand the nature of consciousness itself.Read moreRead less
Building Democracy and Justice after Conflict. Weak governance is a cause of terrorism. Australia is increasingly involved in nation-building projects, both in its region and internationally. This project will build Australia's expertise in the ways that international law can promote democracy and justice after conflict. It will develop guidelines for states and organisations involved in peace and nation-building. The project will thus contribute to safeguarding Australia by increasing Austra ....Building Democracy and Justice after Conflict. Weak governance is a cause of terrorism. Australia is increasingly involved in nation-building projects, both in its region and internationally. This project will build Australia's expertise in the ways that international law can promote democracy and justice after conflict. It will develop guidelines for states and organisations involved in peace and nation-building. The project will thus contribute to safeguarding Australia by increasing Australia's capacity to engage with, and interpret itself to, its neighbours and the broader international community, as well as by tackling the threat of terrorism.Read moreRead less
Logic and language: Foundations of cognitive growth. This project investigates children's competence in using language, from a biological perspective. The past twenty years has witnessed innovative developments in behavioral measures (e.g., eye-movement recording) and computational models of language development. I propose to integrate this research with the study of the neural basis of cognitive processes, using a new methodology for functional brain imaging, magnetoencephalography (MEG), The p ....Logic and language: Foundations of cognitive growth. This project investigates children's competence in using language, from a biological perspective. The past twenty years has witnessed innovative developments in behavioral measures (e.g., eye-movement recording) and computational models of language development. I propose to integrate this research with the study of the neural basis of cognitive processes, using a new methodology for functional brain imaging, magnetoencephalography (MEG), The project combines behavioral, computational, and biological methods to better understand (a) the nature of linguistic knowledge, (b) how logical expressions are acquired, and (c) how knowledge of logic and language are put to use by children in production and comprehension.Read moreRead less
Rethinking Mental Health Laws: An Integrated Approach. Mental health is one of the Commonwealth Government's national health priority areas. This research program will ensure the best possible outcomes for the Government's five-year action plan for better mental health services by developing model legal frameworks that will help shape the way in which individuals with mental illnesses can access the highest attainable standard of mental health care. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and th ....Rethinking Mental Health Laws: An Integrated Approach. Mental health is one of the Commonwealth Government's national health priority areas. This research program will ensure the best possible outcomes for the Government's five-year action plan for better mental health services by developing model legal frameworks that will help shape the way in which individuals with mental illnesses can access the highest attainable standard of mental health care. Through interdisciplinary collaboration and through developing model frameworks for both civil commitment and sentencing laws, this program will enable Australia to set the international agenda as to how countries can best respond to the mental health needs of their citizens.Read moreRead less
Molecular control of apoptosis and protein homeostasis. A million cells are produced every second by cell division. At the same time a million cells commit suicide by a process called apoptosis. When cells fail to die when they should they can develop into cancers. In heart attacks, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases, many cells appear to activate their self destruct mechanism to die unnecessarily. Drugs that can cause cancer cells to kill themselves, or drugs that prevent cells dying when th ....Molecular control of apoptosis and protein homeostasis. A million cells are produced every second by cell division. At the same time a million cells commit suicide by a process called apoptosis. When cells fail to die when they should they can develop into cancers. In heart attacks, stroke and neurodegenerative diseases, many cells appear to activate their self destruct mechanism to die unnecessarily. Drugs that can cause cancer cells to kill themselves, or drugs that prevent cells dying when they shouldn't, would make a major impact on many important diseases. Understanding the molecular mechanisms of cell death is the first step towards developing these drugs.Read moreRead less
Ecology and evolution in dynamic systems: a new approach to conserving Australian biodiversity. Australia has different ecosystems and different species than the rest of the world, and we need a different approach to conserve and manage our unique animals. This project will develop a new, specifically Australian-oriented approach to conservation biology.