Linking human brain structure to function with ultra-high resolution fMRI. This project will examine the structure and function of the sensory cortex of the human brain using ultra-high resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (7 Tesla MRI). The project pushes new boundaries for resolution with ultra-high field MRI (7 Tesla) and, as such, will advance techniques for the acquisition, analysis, and computational modelling of high-resolution fMRI brain imaging, providing detail of the funct ....Linking human brain structure to function with ultra-high resolution fMRI. This project will examine the structure and function of the sensory cortex of the human brain using ultra-high resolution functional magnetic resonance imaging (7 Tesla MRI). The project pushes new boundaries for resolution with ultra-high field MRI (7 Tesla) and, as such, will advance techniques for the acquisition, analysis, and computational modelling of high-resolution fMRI brain imaging, providing detail of the functional organisation of the sensory cortex at a level never previously possible in the living human brain. This will provide new understanding of the neural-level networks that underpin attention and touch perception in the human brain.Read moreRead less
Novel psychophysical paradigms for examining predictive coding in vision. Human vision is shaped by predictive signals in the brain. Despite a century of speculation, we do not know how this interplay is implemented - particularly during natural viewing. This project will establish and validate new psychophysical protocols for investigating predictive coding in human vision. Experiments will involve natural viewing and eye tracking, so results will generalize to real-life. Studies will seek to c ....Novel psychophysical paradigms for examining predictive coding in vision. Human vision is shaped by predictive signals in the brain. Despite a century of speculation, we do not know how this interplay is implemented - particularly during natural viewing. This project will establish and validate new psychophysical protocols for investigating predictive coding in human vision. Experiments will involve natural viewing and eye tracking, so results will generalize to real-life. Studies will seek to clarify how predictions are formed and signalled. This could inform future developments in artificial intelligence, as that cutting edge technology continues to be informed by our understanding of predictive coding in human vision.Read moreRead less
A honking horn can blind you: how sudden distractions redirect attention. This project aims to investigate the sudden offset of distraction and its effects. Distraction can have a devastating impact on our ability to pay attention. This project derives its approach to distraction from recent neurophysiological advances in understanding the Locus Coeruleus–Norepinephrine system. The project intends to establish the role of the Locus Coeruleus in sudden distraction and to examine how sudden distra ....A honking horn can blind you: how sudden distractions redirect attention. This project aims to investigate the sudden offset of distraction and its effects. Distraction can have a devastating impact on our ability to pay attention. This project derives its approach to distraction from recent neurophysiological advances in understanding the Locus Coeruleus–Norepinephrine system. The project intends to establish the role of the Locus Coeruleus in sudden distraction and to examine how sudden distraction interacts with both environmental and internal factors. The outcomes of the research may lead to improvements in technology to enhance road safety and reduce the social and physical costs of distraction-related accidents. This should provide significant benefits such as informing policies on distraction-while-driving to make Australia’s roads safer.Read moreRead less
Understanding the neural dynamics of integrated perceptual decisions. This project aims to characterise the brain processes involved in perceptual decision-making. While scientists have a good understanding of how people make decisions about the properties of individual sensory inputs, much less is known about how the brain integrates information across multiple sensory sources that differ in their salience and fidelity. The project expects to elucidate the neural mechanisms responsible for thes ....Understanding the neural dynamics of integrated perceptual decisions. This project aims to characterise the brain processes involved in perceptual decision-making. While scientists have a good understanding of how people make decisions about the properties of individual sensory inputs, much less is known about how the brain integrates information across multiple sensory sources that differ in their salience and fidelity. The project expects to elucidate the neural mechanisms responsible for these integrative perceptual decisions, using a combination of brain imaging and behavioural measures, computational modelling and real-time neurofeedback. This should provide significant benefits for developing more effective approaches to training individuals in professions that rely on optimal decision-making skills.Read moreRead less
Searching for near-exact protein models. This project aims to develop novel and efficient heuristic-based algorithms leading to near accurate protein tertiary structure models. Knowledge about protein structures is fundamental to our understanding of living systems. The progress on experimental determination of these structures has been extremely limited and remains an open challenge in molecular biology. Computational prediction of protein structures from sequences is emerging as a promising ap ....Searching for near-exact protein models. This project aims to develop novel and efficient heuristic-based algorithms leading to near accurate protein tertiary structure models. Knowledge about protein structures is fundamental to our understanding of living systems. The progress on experimental determination of these structures has been extremely limited and remains an open challenge in molecular biology. Computational prediction of protein structures from sequences is emerging as a promising approach, but its accuracy is far from satisfactory. The software systems developed in this project will be used in structural identification of target proteins in drug design. This will make drug design process more efficient, saving time and cost, potentially saving lives.Read moreRead less
Low-cost Sensing Methods and Hybrid Learning Models. This project aims to revolutionise the theory and practice of sensing and monitoring by developing novel Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things technologies. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of Artificial Intelligence of Things by combining sensing, machine learning, and big data analytics. Expected outcomes of this project include novel low-cost sensing methods and new hybrid machine learning models for predi ....Low-cost Sensing Methods and Hybrid Learning Models. This project aims to revolutionise the theory and practice of sensing and monitoring by developing novel Artificial Intelligence and Internet of Things technologies. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of Artificial Intelligence of Things by combining sensing, machine learning, and big data analytics. Expected outcomes of this project include novel low-cost sensing methods and new hybrid machine learning models for predictive sensory data analytics. This should provide significant benefits, such as substantially reduced operating and service costs and improved accuracy for real-time monitoring in the fields where cheap-to-implement and easy-to-service monitoring systems over large geographical areas are imperative.Read moreRead less
A role for sleep in optimising attention. All animal brains are prediction machines, which allows even tiny flies to effectively navigate complex environments. To predict what will happen next is important for guiding attention, but also for detecting anything surprising. This project aims to understand how prediction is optimized by sleep in Drosophila flies. We aim to use electrophysiology and calcium imaging to map visual prediction error signals across the fly brain, and then determine how g ....A role for sleep in optimising attention. All animal brains are prediction machines, which allows even tiny flies to effectively navigate complex environments. To predict what will happen next is important for guiding attention, but also for detecting anything surprising. This project aims to understand how prediction is optimized by sleep in Drosophila flies. We aim to use electrophysiology and calcium imaging to map visual prediction error signals across the fly brain, and then determine how genetically controlled delivery of sleep regulates the quality and distribution of these signals. This knowledge will benefit our understanding of how brains balance a capacity for prediction versus surprise, by examining how evolution has solved this difficult problem in the smallest brains.Read moreRead less
Subcortical control of human reaching? This project will test a radical new hypothesis about how the human brain generates visually guided behaviour. Conventional thinking assumes that visuomotor control of limb movements occurs exclusively within the cerebral cortex. However, the project team’s recent observations of extremely rapid visually guided muscle activity strongly imply that the human brain controls reaching movements via more primitive midbrain and brainstem structures. The project’s ....Subcortical control of human reaching? This project will test a radical new hypothesis about how the human brain generates visually guided behaviour. Conventional thinking assumes that visuomotor control of limb movements occurs exclusively within the cerebral cortex. However, the project team’s recent observations of extremely rapid visually guided muscle activity strongly imply that the human brain controls reaching movements via more primitive midbrain and brainstem structures. The project’s hypotheses challenge long-standing ideas about the functional organisation of the human brain and may have wide-ranging implications for the design of human-machine interfaces as well as training protocols in rehabilitation, industry, and sport.Read moreRead less
A new perspective on how we learn motor skills: two adaptation classes? The capacity to adapt and acquire movement skills is essential for success in almost every aspect of our lives. This project will test the idea that there are two fundamentally distinct classes of motor learning processes in the brain that are driven by different error types. Using brain recordings, robotic perturbation of movement, and novel variations of classical learning paradigms, the project aims to reveal the neurocom ....A new perspective on how we learn motor skills: two adaptation classes? The capacity to adapt and acquire movement skills is essential for success in almost every aspect of our lives. This project will test the idea that there are two fundamentally distinct classes of motor learning processes in the brain that are driven by different error types. Using brain recordings, robotic perturbation of movement, and novel variations of classical learning paradigms, the project aims to reveal the neurocomputational properties of these proposed adaptation classes across a range of sensorimotor learning paradigms. The knowledge gained from this project may identify new strategies for adapting movements that are widely applicable to industry, defence, sport, and health.Read moreRead less
Stomatopods v Cephalopods: discovery from an information coding arms-race. This proposal aims to unlock the power of a 400 million year old evolutionary arms race between two of earth's most successful predators, cephalopods (e.g. octopus) and mantis shrimp (stomatopods). New knowledge in vision (sensor design), neural coding (circuits and information flow) and behavioural (decisions and actions) innovations from these two groups will have fundamental and applied outcomes. The interdisciplinary ....Stomatopods v Cephalopods: discovery from an information coding arms-race. This proposal aims to unlock the power of a 400 million year old evolutionary arms race between two of earth's most successful predators, cephalopods (e.g. octopus) and mantis shrimp (stomatopods). New knowledge in vision (sensor design), neural coding (circuits and information flow) and behavioural (decisions and actions) innovations from these two groups will have fundamental and applied outcomes. The interdisciplinary and comparative nature of the project aims to amplify outcomes in questions of efficient neural coding, optical design and bio-inspired solutions. Benefits from the study include GPS-free navigation in marine engineering and rapid exposure of research results to millions of people through existing communication programs. Read moreRead less