Complex Motion Processing in Primate Visual Cortex. As we move through the world, a dynamic visual image is projected onto our retinas. The pattern of movement in the retinal image contains information about three-dimensional structure in the environment and the time of impending collisions. Our visual systems are expert at exploiting this information, enabling us to navigate through complex visual environments at a level far beyond the most sophisticated artificial systems. We plan to investiga ....Complex Motion Processing in Primate Visual Cortex. As we move through the world, a dynamic visual image is projected onto our retinas. The pattern of movement in the retinal image contains information about three-dimensional structure in the environment and the time of impending collisions. Our visual systems are expert at exploiting this information, enabling us to navigate through complex visual environments at a level far beyond the most sophisticated artificial systems. We plan to investigate complex motion processing in the primate brain by recording the responses of neurons in identified regions of the visual cortex of macaque monkeys to a range of behaviourally relevant motion stimuli.Read moreRead less
Biomaterial applications of synthetic elastin. The grant will develop a new collaboration between two established laboratories. The Weiss Lab (synthetic elastin; University of Sydney, Australia) will send elastin materials to the Langer Lab (interface of biotechnology and materials science; MIT, USA). Prof. Weiss will visit the Langer Lab and be trained in and participate collaboratively in the use of established MIT methodologies that will focus on applications in cardiac tissue engineering, co ....Biomaterial applications of synthetic elastin. The grant will develop a new collaboration between two established laboratories. The Weiss Lab (synthetic elastin; University of Sydney, Australia) will send elastin materials to the Langer Lab (interface of biotechnology and materials science; MIT, USA). Prof. Weiss will visit the Langer Lab and be trained in and participate collaboratively in the use of established MIT methodologies that will focus on applications in cardiac tissue engineering, controlled release of drugs and vocal fold repair. The MIT group will benefit from access to and the use of elastin materials that are developed in AustraliaRead moreRead less
A cross-linguistic investigation of lexical stress using corpus analyses, behavioural testing and computational modelling. Some languages exhibit variable patterns of emphasis or 'lexical stress' across words ('ZEbra' v 'girAFFE'). This research will provide a more precise understanding of the role of lexical stress in language processing. This will assist educators/clinicians working with normally developing children and those with developmental delays as well as educators/students in second-l ....A cross-linguistic investigation of lexical stress using corpus analyses, behavioural testing and computational modelling. Some languages exhibit variable patterns of emphasis or 'lexical stress' across words ('ZEbra' v 'girAFFE'). This research will provide a more precise understanding of the role of lexical stress in language processing. This will assist educators/clinicians working with normally developing children and those with developmental delays as well as educators/students in second-language learning. It will also lead to improved automatic speech recognition/synthesis - used in commercial applications such as phone banking, edutainment/epistemic computer games and communication devices (speech-to-text dictation systems for those with limited mobility and text-to-speech systems for those unable to speak). Undertaken in collaboration with a high-profile research lab in the UK this project will maintain Australia's competitive edge in cognitive science.Read moreRead less