Attention vs Perception: When is selection optimal, when relational? This project aims to investigate an important, newly discovered dissociation between early visual selection and perceptual decision-making. Contrary to current theories, attentional and perceptual processes are tuned to different stimulus attributes described in the relational vs. optimal account, which implies that current theories of attention do not describe early attention but later, decisional processes. This project will ....Attention vs Perception: When is selection optimal, when relational? This project aims to investigate an important, newly discovered dissociation between early visual selection and perceptual decision-making. Contrary to current theories, attentional and perceptual processes are tuned to different stimulus attributes described in the relational vs. optimal account, which implies that current theories of attention do not describe early attention but later, decisional processes. This project will provide an accurate description of these processes, which promises important theoretical breakthroughs. Work on this project will also significantly advance methods to detect and describe early attentional processes, by identifying error-prone methods of Psychophysics and Neuroscience studies, and proposing remedies.Read moreRead less
Brain mechanisms for coordinating with others through sound. Distinguishing between sounds produced by self and others is critical for interpersonal coordination and communication through speech and music. This project employs a novel dual-brain electrophysiological technique with tagged audio signals to elucidate how the human brain achieves this distinction, and when and why it cannot. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the neurophysiological mechanisms that support self-other processi ....Brain mechanisms for coordinating with others through sound. Distinguishing between sounds produced by self and others is critical for interpersonal coordination and communication through speech and music. This project employs a novel dual-brain electrophysiological technique with tagged audio signals to elucidate how the human brain achieves this distinction, and when and why it cannot. Expected outcomes include new knowledge on the neurophysiological mechanisms that support self-other processing, and the acoustic conditions and behavioural strategies that facilitate their operation. These outcomes should ultimately have applied benefits for improving interpersonal coordination and social interaction, especially in digital environments and clinical populations with atypical self-other processing.Read moreRead less
Can the Relational Account predict search in multiple-element displays? . This project provides evidence of a novel mechanism that guides visual attention. Our results confirm the existence of a mechanism that can rapidly and automatically assess the dominant feature(s) in a visual scene and radically change how attention is tuned to a target object. Moreover, this attention-guiding target template can change systematically as observers search through different items in visual search, possibly d ....Can the Relational Account predict search in multiple-element displays? . This project provides evidence of a novel mechanism that guides visual attention. Our results confirm the existence of a mechanism that can rapidly and automatically assess the dominant feature(s) in a visual scene and radically change how attention is tuned to a target object. Moreover, this attention-guiding target template can change systematically as observers search through different items in visual search, possibly due to a re-shaping and narrowing of the target template. These are both ground-breaking discoveries that have not been described before. Work on this project promises to lead to important theoretical breakthroughs, resolve current discrepancies in the literature and advance methods of Cognitive Psychology and Neuroscience.Read moreRead less
Switching Dynamics Approach for Distributed Global Optimisation . This project aims to create a breakthrough switching dynamics approach and new technology to speed up finding optimal solutions. It will develop a distributed switching dynamics based optimisation scheme for global optimisation problems in industrial big-data environments where timely decision making is required. It will result in a practical technology for industry optimisation problems such as economic energy dispatch in smart g ....Switching Dynamics Approach for Distributed Global Optimisation . This project aims to create a breakthrough switching dynamics approach and new technology to speed up finding optimal solutions. It will develop a distributed switching dynamics based optimisation scheme for global optimisation problems in industrial big-data environments where timely decision making is required. It will result in a practical technology for industry optimisation problems such as economic energy dispatch in smart grids and optimal charging and discharging tasks in a large network of electric vehicles, helping Australian power industry improve efficiency and security, as well as training the next generation scientists and engineers for Australia in this emerging field.Read moreRead less
The neural dynamics of real-time processing in the brain. The aim of this project is to investigate a new model for predictive coding of sensory processing in the brain in which the brain compensates for the time delays in neural transmission by maintaining a real-time temporal alignment of the neural activity. This results in a representation of sensory information that is aligned in time across the cortex, offering a new fundamental principle for how the brain functions in a highly dynamic wor ....The neural dynamics of real-time processing in the brain. The aim of this project is to investigate a new model for predictive coding of sensory processing in the brain in which the brain compensates for the time delays in neural transmission by maintaining a real-time temporal alignment of the neural activity. This results in a representation of sensory information that is aligned in time across the cortex, offering a new fundamental principle for how the brain functions in a highly dynamic world whose outcomes would provide a deeper understanding of brain function. It could also have profound significance for artificial intelligence and brain-inspired technologies, as well as benefit neural sensory prostheses and brain-machine interfaces.Read moreRead less
Effects of audio-visual rhythmic stimulation on motor functioning. This project aims to determine how the human capacity for entrainment contributes to the development and modification of motor functions through passive perception. Human movements are spontaneously attracted to auditory and visual environmental rhythms. The intended outcome is knowledge about short and long-term effects of entrainment on spontaneous cerebral, muscular and behavioural motor activity, and how auditory rhythms comb ....Effects of audio-visual rhythmic stimulation on motor functioning. This project aims to determine how the human capacity for entrainment contributes to the development and modification of motor functions through passive perception. Human movements are spontaneously attracted to auditory and visual environmental rhythms. The intended outcome is knowledge about short and long-term effects of entrainment on spontaneous cerebral, muscular and behavioural motor activity, and how auditory rhythms combined with visual depictions of human movement modulate these effects. This research should advance the understanding of perception and action links, ultimately opening pathways for training patients with reduced movement capacities and developing health technologies.Read moreRead less
“The Complete Craze”: Women’s Photography and Colonial Modernity in the Asia-Pacific, 1860-1930. To date there has been no sustained research into the photography produced by women in the Asia-Pacific region in the late colonial era even though much of it was aesthetically sophisticated and innovative. Combining historical research with postcolonial and gender theory, this project critically examines a large body of images by women photographers working across the region. It identifies the facto ....“The Complete Craze”: Women’s Photography and Colonial Modernity in the Asia-Pacific, 1860-1930. To date there has been no sustained research into the photography produced by women in the Asia-Pacific region in the late colonial era even though much of it was aesthetically sophisticated and innovative. Combining historical research with postcolonial and gender theory, this project critically examines a large body of images by women photographers working across the region. It identifies the factors enabling these women to be examined as a group, investigates their subject matter, techniques and styles, and establishes what was exciting and new, as well as conventional, about their methods. It also shows how their artworks both reflected and contributed to the region’s burgeoning modernity. Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100274
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,675.00
Summary
Graph Neural Networks for Efficient Decision-making towards Future Grids. This project aims to develop a breakthrough framework for decision-focused learning by integrating explainable graph neural networks and efficient computational methods. It expects to create new methodologies of graph representation learning for unlocking data insight with spatiotemporal knowledge while to build new accelerated optimisation theories for speeding up decision-focused learning model. The expected outcomes wil ....Graph Neural Networks for Efficient Decision-making towards Future Grids. This project aims to develop a breakthrough framework for decision-focused learning by integrating explainable graph neural networks and efficient computational methods. It expects to create new methodologies of graph representation learning for unlocking data insight with spatiotemporal knowledge while to build new accelerated optimisation theories for speeding up decision-focused learning model. The expected outcomes will advance big spatiotemporal data analytics and nonlinear optimisation theory for solving decision-making tasks towards a future energy system. This should promote the Australian power industry transition to a sustainable future grid based on a digitalisation approach to efficient energy management against climate changes.Read moreRead less
In search of relevant things: A novel approach for image analysis. This project aims to investigate how experts’ cognitive processes may be transferred to computers for the automatic recognition of visual features. By merging computer and brain sciences, the project will characterise the way the brains of experts understand what is seen, in order to translate such a process in a new computer vision tool. This should provide significant benefits, such as automatic detection of threats or diseases ....In search of relevant things: A novel approach for image analysis. This project aims to investigate how experts’ cognitive processes may be transferred to computers for the automatic recognition of visual features. By merging computer and brain sciences, the project will characterise the way the brains of experts understand what is seen, in order to translate such a process in a new computer vision tool. This should provide significant benefits, such as automatic detection of threats or diseases in satellite and diagnostic imaging, respectively, among other applications. For the first time, the combination of how a computer analyses an image and how an expert interprets it will be used as a common language to enable machines to process visual information in a manner that mimics the way human brains do.Read moreRead less
Care and Repair: Rethinking Contemporary Curation for Conditions of Crisis. This project aims to address the significant challenge of how to curate contemporary art under conditions of crisis, made acute by the pandemic. It expects to generate new knowledge in the growth areas of contemporary art and curatorial practice, which will be translatable to creative industries seeking solutions to similar challenges. Anticipated outcomes include new models for sustainable, future-oriented creative prac ....Care and Repair: Rethinking Contemporary Curation for Conditions of Crisis. This project aims to address the significant challenge of how to curate contemporary art under conditions of crisis, made acute by the pandemic. It expects to generate new knowledge in the growth areas of contemporary art and curatorial practice, which will be translatable to creative industries seeking solutions to similar challenges. Anticipated outcomes include new models for sustainable, future-oriented creative practice; a stronger international profile for Australian artists and curators; and the establishment of a regional network of artists and curators between Australia and Southeast Asia. This should significantly aid our understanding of how to meet current and future challenges to producers and audiences of contemporary art.Read moreRead less