Brain Function

The brain shortcuts that help us respond quickly to threats
might also be involved in psychiatric disorders like anxiety, ADHD and autism.
A new method for measuring rapid brain activity helps to explain why our brains can’t process many things at once.
A newly identified brain circuit reignites the fear response, even after treatment to suppress it.
Some highly interconnected areas of the brain are more vulnerable to disruption than others,
which could explain how disorders such as schizophrenia develop.
A part of the brain called the 'frontopolar cortex' plays a role
in assessing the value of an alternative goal and switching to it if it’s more beneficial.

Our Centre was funded by the Australian Research Council from 2014 – 2021, to investigate how the brain functions at multiple scales, from single cells and synapses, to circuits and networks, to whole brain systems.

To achieve this we brought together neuroscientists, engineers, psychologists and computer scientists to study the relationship between brain activity and behaviour at multiple spatial and temporal scales. In doing so the Centre contributed to the development of an integrated model of how the brain processes information and thereby advanced our understanding of how the brain interacts with the world.

This website is no longer actively maintained as the Centre concluded in 2021, but you can find all about or research highlights, publications, initiatives and people by navigating through this page.

Legacy website of the ARC Centre of Excellence for Integrative Brain Function