Spatiotemporal signatures of learning in brain reward systems. Learning to strengthen behaviours that secure resources and warrant survival is one of the primary functions of the brain. This Project seeks to establish the rules that govern the integration of learning in brain reward systems by studying how neuronal circuits change their molecular signatures as animals assimilate new knowledge. These studies will combine novel experimental designs to investigate learning with multidisciplinary me ....Spatiotemporal signatures of learning in brain reward systems. Learning to strengthen behaviours that secure resources and warrant survival is one of the primary functions of the brain. This Project seeks to establish the rules that govern the integration of learning in brain reward systems by studying how neuronal circuits change their molecular signatures as animals assimilate new knowledge. These studies will combine novel experimental designs to investigate learning with multidisciplinary methods for mapping, recording and functionalising teaching signals in behaving mice. The outcomes will create a significant shift in our understanding of the neural bases that underlie reward learning, and will critically expand the field by providing a new model of learning integration in brain systems.Read moreRead less
Mechanisms of memory integration in brain systems. Learning from our interactions with the environment is one of the brain’s most important functions, yet how and where this process takes place at the neural network level has proven difficult to establish. This Project seeks to investigate how major neuromodulatory signals in the brain coordinate the encoding of reward-based learning in large ensembles of neurons. These studies will combine novel behavioural paradigms with the most recent neuros ....Mechanisms of memory integration in brain systems. Learning from our interactions with the environment is one of the brain’s most important functions, yet how and where this process takes place at the neural network level has proven difficult to establish. This Project seeks to investigate how major neuromodulatory signals in the brain coordinate the encoding of reward-based learning in large ensembles of neurons. These studies will combine novel behavioural paradigms with the most recent neuroscience techniques for functional mapping and manipulation of specific neural circuits in behaving mice. The outcomes of this research will lead to a significant shift in our understanding of the mechanisms underpinning the integration of learning in brain systems and its implications for behaviour.Read moreRead less
How satiation control reward value and cue-induced appetitive behaviours. This proposal aims to identify mechanisms that control environment-driven food-seeking behaviours. It seeks to do so by using modern virally-mediated and basic behavioural as well as histological techniques in a transgenic rat to characterise novel hindbrain circuits that control these feeding behaviours. This is significant as environment-driven overeating is problematic yet underlying mechanisms are unclear. This project ....How satiation control reward value and cue-induced appetitive behaviours. This proposal aims to identify mechanisms that control environment-driven food-seeking behaviours. It seeks to do so by using modern virally-mediated and basic behavioural as well as histological techniques in a transgenic rat to characterise novel hindbrain circuits that control these feeding behaviours. This is significant as environment-driven overeating is problematic yet underlying mechanisms are unclear. This project expects to provide new knowledge on when, where and how hindbrain neurons control environment-driven food-seeking behaviours. This should provide benefits to the advancement of knowledge on the neural mechanisms of food-seeking and provide a basic science platform for future research on the study of feeding behaviours.
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Hippocampal regulation of goal-directed decision-making. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that is central to learning and memory yet little is known about its role in decision-making. It is the aim of this application to provide the first detailed, causal evidence of hippocampal regulation of decision-making. This is significant because many mental health disorders and dementias that involve decision-making deficits are characterised by hippocampal dysfunction, but any direct link between ....Hippocampal regulation of goal-directed decision-making. The hippocampus is a part of the brain that is central to learning and memory yet little is known about its role in decision-making. It is the aim of this application to provide the first detailed, causal evidence of hippocampal regulation of decision-making. This is significant because many mental health disorders and dementias that involve decision-making deficits are characterised by hippocampal dysfunction, but any direct link between these factors is unknown. The outcomes of the current grant will provide the first evidence of that link, thus providing deeper understanding of the neurophysiological mechanisms of these disorders, which could eventuate in the creation of more beneficial treatments. Read moreRead less
The impact of female sex hormones on neurodevelopment. This project aims to characterise the contribution of sex hormones to the development of emotional brain circuits in female adolescents. Puberty is associated with profound changes in emotional behaviours in females, but we know little about the underlying brain mechanisms. In particular, research has neglected to consider the role of the sex hormones for which changes are a defining feature of female puberty (eg, oestradiol). This work will ....The impact of female sex hormones on neurodevelopment. This project aims to characterise the contribution of sex hormones to the development of emotional brain circuits in female adolescents. Puberty is associated with profound changes in emotional behaviours in females, but we know little about the underlying brain mechanisms. In particular, research has neglected to consider the role of the sex hormones for which changes are a defining feature of female puberty (eg, oestradiol). This work will be the first to comprehensively advance our understanding of the unique role of sex hormones in shaping the adolescent female brain. It will provide critical understanding of how individual differences in hormonal factors increase risk for emotional problems in females, and inform treatment strategies.Read moreRead less
Brain circuits for parsing aversion. This project aims to map the brain mechanisms by which adverse events shape our decisions and behaviour. It combines cutting-edge neuroscience techniques with advanced approaches from experimental psychology. This project expects to provide new knowledge about how we learn about avoidable and unavoidable danger to guide behaviour, from critical neurotransmitter systems to specific brain circuits. Expected outcomes include significant advancements in our under ....Brain circuits for parsing aversion. This project aims to map the brain mechanisms by which adverse events shape our decisions and behaviour. It combines cutting-edge neuroscience techniques with advanced approaches from experimental psychology. This project expects to provide new knowledge about how we learn about avoidable and unavoidable danger to guide behaviour, from critical neurotransmitter systems to specific brain circuits. Expected outcomes include significant advancements in our understanding of aversive learning processes, motivation and decision-making. Alongside theory development, the outcomes of this project can be used to benefit the development of treatments for depression and anxiety disorders, of which dysfunctions in aversion are a defining feature.Read moreRead less
Improving Productivity in Emergency Service Personnel. Emergency service personnel experience marked levels of lost productivity, absenteeism, early retirements, and compensation claims as a result of stress reactions. This project aims to improve productivity and reduce compensation costs in emergency service organisations by evaluating a program that reduces stress reactions and increases cognitive functioning in police, firefighters, and paramedics in NSW. An individual program will be admini ....Improving Productivity in Emergency Service Personnel. Emergency service personnel experience marked levels of lost productivity, absenteeism, early retirements, and compensation claims as a result of stress reactions. This project aims to improve productivity and reduce compensation costs in emergency service organisations by evaluating a program that reduces stress reactions and increases cognitive functioning in police, firefighters, and paramedics in NSW. An individual program will be administered to 120 emergency service personnel who have difficulty maintaining their work duties because of stress reactions. Expected outcomes will be reduction in absenteeism, improved productivity, and reduced costs to insurers.
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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
Dissecting the Brain Circuitry Shaping Fear Regulation Across Development. Adolescence is an important time when individuals learn to manage stress-related emotions like fear. This project aims to understand how maturational changes in the prefrontal cortex of the brain hinder adolescents when learning to reduce reactivity to threats. It aims to do so by dissecting the brain circuitry shaping learning, memory, and emotional regulation across pre-adolescence, adolescence, and adulthood. The proje ....Dissecting the Brain Circuitry Shaping Fear Regulation Across Development. Adolescence is an important time when individuals learn to manage stress-related emotions like fear. This project aims to understand how maturational changes in the prefrontal cortex of the brain hinder adolescents when learning to reduce reactivity to threats. It aims to do so by dissecting the brain circuitry shaping learning, memory, and emotional regulation across pre-adolescence, adolescence, and adulthood. The project expects to generate new knowledge about why developmental changes in the brain are necessary for mature forms of learning and memory. The expected outcomes of this project include a significantly richer knowledge of the developing brain, which will ultimately inform approaches for improving emotion regulation in youth.Read moreRead less
Imaging the human cerebellum during motor learning and timing. The cerebellum has long fascinated scientists for its remarkable anatomy and physiology and the critical role that it plays in motor function, and more recently for its more general functions of cognition and emotion. Developments in non-invasive imaging of cerebellar activity have opened up exiting new opportunities to probe its wider functioning. We aim to further develop these new methods in order to facilitate their availability ....Imaging the human cerebellum during motor learning and timing. The cerebellum has long fascinated scientists for its remarkable anatomy and physiology and the critical role that it plays in motor function, and more recently for its more general functions of cognition and emotion. Developments in non-invasive imaging of cerebellar activity have opened up exiting new opportunities to probe its wider functioning. We aim to further develop these new methods in order to facilitate their availability to the wider research community, and to demonstrate their utility by application to the role of the cerebellum in learning and timing. The outcomes of this work will be of considerable benefit to a wide range of scientists and clinicians who will be able to make use of the new methods for their own research.Read moreRead less