Uncovering the secret to creative thinking
Congratulations to Dr Claire O’Callaghan Chief Investigator A (CIA), Associate Professor Mac Shine (CIB) and Dr Eli Muller (CIC) who were awarded $1,076,895 by the Australian Research Council (ARC). The project title: Exploring Neural Mechanisms of Compositional Cognition in the Human Brain.
This research, led by an interdisciplinary team of experts will leverage cutting-edge techniques in neuroimaging, neurochemistry, and computational neuroscience to explore how the brain maintains cognitive flexibility. Dr O'Callaghan, Assoc. Prof. Shine and Dr Muller are part of the Faculty of Medicine and Health and the Brain and Mind Centre.
Pictured from left to right: Dr Claire O’Callaghan (CIA), Associate Professor Mac Shine (CIB) and Dr Eli Muller (CIC)
The grant is an exciting opportunity to do some curiosity-driven science. By taking an interdisciplinary approach, we aim to understand the brain's basis for adaptive human cognition, which is fundamental to problem-solving, learning new skills, and navigating novel situations.
"This grant brings together leading scientists with expertise in distinct domains of neuroimaging, computational neuroscience, and neuromodulation to understand how the brain retains flexibility in the face of its ever-evolving learned experiences," Dr Eli Muller says.
Despite its importance in everyday life and artificial intelligence, the neural processes behind compositional cognition—the ability to recombine existing knowledge in new ways—remain largely unexplored. This research will test the novel neuromodulatory compositionality hypothesis, combining dynamic neural signatures observed during cognitive tasks, manipulation of neurochemical systems, and advanced biophysical models to reveal the brain's hidden processes.
This project is the culmination of other publications, in the National Library of Medicine. From Dr Eli Muller, Assoc. Prof Mac Shine and Dr Claire O’Callaghan. These studies are on neural signatures in cognition and frameworks for linking neurobiological processes to higher cognitive functions.
Australian Research Council
The Australian Research Council (ARC) is a Commonwealth entity within the Australian Government. The ARC supports the highest-quality pure basic, strategic basic and applied research and research training.