A/Prof Mac Shine (University of Sydney) Abstract Perception is thought to rely upon evolving activity within a recurrent, distributed thalamocortical network whose interconnections are modulated by bursts of noradrenaline. To test this hypothesis, we leveraged a combination of pupillometry, fMRI and recurrent neural network modelling of an ambiguous figures task. Shifts in the perceptual interpretation […]

Dr Laura Bradfield (UTS) Abstract Neuroinflammation has been observed in the striatum and hippocampus of individuals with psychiatric disorders and neurodegenerative diseases to different extents, but whether this causes the behavioural disturbances experienced by such individuals or is simply another symptom of their disease is unknown. In our lab we have begun to piece together […]

Dr Alexis Whitton (UNSW) Abstract In the face of escalating rates of depression among young people, effective and scalable treatments are urgently required. Although a range of different interventions have been found to be effective, the pivotal question is Which treatments yield the greatest benefit, and for whom? This talk explores a new approach to […]

Prof Tim Slade (USYD) Abstract The Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use promotes excellence, innovation and collaboration by bringing together world-leading researchers, clinicians, people with lived experience and community to share skills, synergise data, harness new technologies and trial innovative programs to prevent and treat mental and substance use disorders. This […]

A/Prof Rebecca Collie (UNSW) Abstract Decades of research underscores the significance of student motivation for promoting positive academic outcomes. Now, growing awareness is emerging regarding the role of motivational drivers in shaping social-emotional outcomes. In this talk, Associate Professor Rebecca Collie will discuss the role of one motivational driver, perceived social-emotional competence (perceived-SEC). Perceived-SEC reflects […]

Prof Susan Hespos (Western Sydney University) Abstract Human cognition is striking in its brilliance and adaptability. To gain an understanding of our species’ extraordinary cognition we investigate the origins and development of these abilities in infants. How do infant’s initial abilities change with experience, and what conditions foster or impede learning? Answers to these questions […]

Dr Daniel Bennett (Monash University) Abstract Contemporary sports-betting products offer a raft of novel in-play betting features designed to incentivise customer engagement. Among these, one prominent feature available on most interactive betting platforms is ‘cash out’. The cash-out feature allows customers who have wagered on an event to forgo their stake in the event prior to its conclusion in exchange for […]

A/Prof Marta Garrido (University of Melbourne) Abstract Much of what we know about brain circuitry for human vision comes from neuroimaging studies and investigations on people with brain damage. A remarkable example are the studies in blindsight patients, who despite being blind after injury to their primary visual cortex (V1), display remarkable visual abilities. Indeed, […]

Dr Betty Luu (USYD) Abstract This talk considers the pervasiveness of Western models of thinking in relation to child development and parenting practices, and its impact on child welfare practices for ethnic minority families in Australia. It highlights key projects I have been involved in at the Research Centre for Children and Families that spurred […]

Dr Kate Storrs (University of Auckland) Abstract Computational visual neuroscience has come a long way in the past 10 years. Deep neural networks can recognise objects with near-human accuracy, and predict brain activity in the ventral visual cortex better than any previous models. However, vision is far from explained. Our most successful models have been […]