Left of centre: Attentional distortions in the mental representation of space in healthy and clinical populations. Stroke patients cost the Australian economy $1.3bn pa in addition to their social burden, but effective diagnosis and rehabilitation is impeded by a lack of fundamental research into the cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie attentional disorders. Our research will provide significant new insights into how the brain deploys attention in external and imagined space and will l ....Left of centre: Attentional distortions in the mental representation of space in healthy and clinical populations. Stroke patients cost the Australian economy $1.3bn pa in addition to their social burden, but effective diagnosis and rehabilitation is impeded by a lack of fundamental research into the cognitive and neural mechanisms that underlie attentional disorders. Our research will provide significant new insights into how the brain deploys attention in external and imagined space and will lead to more effective management and treatment of stroke victims. Our new test of attentional disorders is independent of a patient's inability to see or move and will enable more effective diagnosis. Our research provides the fundamental knowledge base for our discipline and is vital for developing the next generation of Australia's cognitive neuroscientists. Read moreRead less
Insect-inspired flapping wing robots: autonomous flight control systems. This project aims to design a novel control scheme for insect-inspired, flapping-wing, micro aerial vehicles. This type of micro aerial vehicle has complex, periodic, time-varying and inherently unstable dynamics, which are practically challenging to model and implement in hardware. This project will design energy-based automatic stabilization and task-dependent control, and develop the insect-inspired platform for testing ....Insect-inspired flapping wing robots: autonomous flight control systems. This project aims to design a novel control scheme for insect-inspired, flapping-wing, micro aerial vehicles. This type of micro aerial vehicle has complex, periodic, time-varying and inherently unstable dynamics, which are practically challenging to model and implement in hardware. This project will design energy-based automatic stabilization and task-dependent control, and develop the insect-inspired platform for testing nonlinear control strategies. The expected outcomes will include new system and control theories, concepts, principles and technologies in controller design that can provide reliable flight control for bio-inspired, flapping-wing systems.Read moreRead less
Pathways to health and wellbeing through housing: a new causal understanding of relationships, processes and interventions. Does housing make Australians healthier or less healthy, how can we target housing assistance so that it improves individual health and wellbeing? This research answers these questions, it develops new methods for understanding the complex causal relationship between housing and health, and evidence of how housing can improve health and wellbeing.
Closing the housing gap: a spotlight on intergenerational inequalities. This project aims to use never-before analysed combinations of datasets and new data on Australian housing conditions to model the consequences of unequal access to housing and housing wealth among Australians, and to evaluate both individual and national benefits of housing interventions across generations. The consequences of unequal access to housing are different for current and future generational cohorts. This project ....Closing the housing gap: a spotlight on intergenerational inequalities. This project aims to use never-before analysed combinations of datasets and new data on Australian housing conditions to model the consequences of unequal access to housing and housing wealth among Australians, and to evaluate both individual and national benefits of housing interventions across generations. The consequences of unequal access to housing are different for current and future generational cohorts. This project expects to reveal the drivers and health consequences of the intergenerational housing gap. Research-based insights on the intergenerational housing crisis will benefit almost all Australians affected by the unprecedented costs of ownership and renting.Read moreRead less
Left to right is front to back: attentional distortions in near and far space for healthy and clinical populations. We are investigating a perceptual bias that makes people think objects right in front of them are actually slightly to the right but objects far away are slightly to the left. This project will help understand why this happens, to help reduce traffic collisions and help people with brain damage that causes similar perceptual biases.
Attentional asymmetries for navigation in healthy and clinical groups. This project plans to investigate how differences in attentional capacity between the left and right sides of the brain affect the ability to walk or manoeuvre vehicles between obstacles. To navigate our environment and avoid obstacles, we need to attend to stimuli that are important and ignore those that are not. Unfortunately, the brain’s attentional capacity is limited, which can result in errors and collisions. Using the ....Attentional asymmetries for navigation in healthy and clinical groups. This project plans to investigate how differences in attentional capacity between the left and right sides of the brain affect the ability to walk or manoeuvre vehicles between obstacles. To navigate our environment and avoid obstacles, we need to attend to stimuli that are important and ignore those that are not. Unfortunately, the brain’s attentional capacity is limited, which can result in errors and collisions. Using the techniques of cognitive neuroscience, the project aims to provide a better understanding of the cognitive and neural mechanisms that govern attention in an applied setting. It expects to identify the factors that exacerbate lapses in attention and collisions. The effect of everyday impediments such as mobile phones, alcohol and fatigue will be investigated together with means of minimising these attentional lapses and improving safety.Read moreRead less
Complex nano-systems for highly selective imaging and targeting of cells. The aim of the project is to design multi-functional nanoparticles that can be tracked by multiple bio-imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography imaging. The nanoparticles are designed to be targetable to specific cell populations and capable of delivering drugs. The project plans to concentrate the MRI-active gadolinium into nanoparticles to generate enhanced images, and ....Complex nano-systems for highly selective imaging and targeting of cells. The aim of the project is to design multi-functional nanoparticles that can be tracked by multiple bio-imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography imaging. The nanoparticles are designed to be targetable to specific cell populations and capable of delivering drugs. The project plans to concentrate the MRI-active gadolinium into nanoparticles to generate enhanced images, and to combine this with other imaging modalities to facilitate tracking and sensitivity. Expected outcomes would enable a new approach to extremely accurate and sensitive imaging of tumours to enable the imaging of much smaller tumours than currently possible. This would allow early therapeutic intervention. The nanoparticles are also designed to deliver a therapeutic payload to specific locations, avoiding systemic delivery of toxic anticancer drugs.Read moreRead less
The psychological contract: Bridging human resource management practices and organisational effectiveness. Many managers believe that recent changes in management practice are responsible for Australia's high labour productivity but very little is known about the mechanisms through which such effects are transmitted. Will HRM enable Australian organisations to generate and maintain a competitive advantage in the global context? In this project we draw on theoretical frameworks established in ....The psychological contract: Bridging human resource management practices and organisational effectiveness. Many managers believe that recent changes in management practice are responsible for Australia's high labour productivity but very little is known about the mechanisms through which such effects are transmitted. Will HRM enable Australian organisations to generate and maintain a competitive advantage in the global context? In this project we draw on theoretical frameworks established in the behavioural sciences to understand how HRM practices influence employee reactions and impact organisational effectiveness, such as labour productivity. The results will be of direct benefit to Australian organisations designing, evaluating, or reconfiguring their HRM practices in line with their competitive strategy.Read moreRead less
The reality of China's socialist market economy: the emergence of labour segmentation and inequality. Australia's current regional and economic security is predicated on China's stability and prosperity. This project provides a unique opportunity for Australian organisations and institutions to gain a better understanding of the complex economic, regulatory and social issues that surround the problem of labour segmentation and inequality in China.
The impact and cost of short-term health staffing in remote communities. This project aims to examine the impact of the increasing levels of short-term health staffing in remote communities upon service acceptability to patients, workload and attitudes of long-term resident primary health care staff, and the effectiveness and cost of health services. There is a dearth of information about this 'fly in/fly out' (FIFO) workforce in remote communities, which have the worst health outcomes in the co ....The impact and cost of short-term health staffing in remote communities. This project aims to examine the impact of the increasing levels of short-term health staffing in remote communities upon service acceptability to patients, workload and attitudes of long-term resident primary health care staff, and the effectiveness and cost of health services. There is a dearth of information about this 'fly in/fly out' (FIFO) workforce in remote communities, which have the worst health outcomes in the country. The project aims to inform consumers, health practitioners, health service planners and policy-makers about the impact of FIFO, as well as to contribute to the development of strategies designed to stabilise the remote health workforce.Read moreRead less