{"links":{"self":"http://dataportal.arc.gov.au/NCGP/API/grants/DE260100362"},"data":{"type":"grant-details","id":"DE260100362","attributes":{"code":"DE260100362","administering-organisation":"The University of Melbourne","announcement-administering-organisation":"The University of Melbourne","scheme-name":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","grant-status":"Active","funding-commencement-year":2026,"years-funded":3,"project-start-date":"2026-01-01","anticipated-end-date":"2028-12-31","grant-summary":"Understanding How Serotonin Modulates Sensory Associative Learning. This project aims to understand how serotonin affects sensory learning. Current research has not fully explained when, where, and how serotonin influences learning and memory in the brain. Using advanced neuroscience techniques, this project will explore these questions at the level of brain circuits, cells, and molecules. The expected results include identifying important receptors and cell types involved in sensory learning. The benefits of this research include gaining new knowledge in biological psychology, advancing cognitive research, strengthening Australia’s neuroscience education, and encouraging growth in the health industry.","funding-current":534320.00,"funding-at-announcement":530079,"investigators-current":[{"title":"Dr","firstName":"Tongrui","familyName":"Qian","roleName":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","roleCode":"DECRA","isFellowship":true,"orcidIdentifier":"0000-0002-0329-4687 "}],"investigators-at-announcement":[{"title":"Dr","firstName":"Tongrui","familyName":"Qian","roleName":"Discovery Early Career Researcher Award","roleCode":"DECRA","isFellowship":true,"orcidIdentifier":"0000-0002-0329-4687 "}],"organisations-current":[{"organisationName":"The University of Melbourne","roleName":"Administering Organisation","state":"VIC"}],"organisations-at-announcement":[{"organisationName":"The University of Melbourne","roleName":"Administering Organisation","state":"VIC"}],"field-of-research":[{"isPrimary":true,"code":"3209","name":"Neurosciences","type":"FOR20"},{"isPrimary":false,"code":"320902","name":"Cellular Nervous System","type":"FOR20"},{"isPrimary":false,"code":"320903","name":"Central Nervous System","type":"FOR20"},{"isPrimary":false,"code":"520202","name":"Behavioural Neuroscience","type":"FOR20"}],"socio-economic-objective":[{"code":"280102","name":"Expanding Knowledge In the Biological Sciences","type":"SEO20"},{"code":"280103","name":"Expanding Knowledge In the Biomedical and Clinical Sciences","type":"SEO20"},{"code":"280121","name":"Expanding Knowledge In Psychology","type":"SEO20"}],"international-collaboration":[],"lief-register":[],"achievement-summary":null,"national-interest-test-statement":"To navigate and adapt to a constantly changing world, animals—including humans—need to learn from experience, particularly through sensory associative learning. One way this occurs is by linking a sensory input (e.g., sound or touch) with a reward or danger. While brain chemicals called neurotransmitters play a crucial role in learning, how serotonin—a chemical linked to mood and memory—shapes this process remains unclear. This project will use cutting-edge imaging tools in neuroscience to investigate when and where serotonin is released in the brain and how it affects associative learning. The findings will advance our understanding of serotonin’s dynamic changes and its role in learning and memory, refine existing theories of brain function, and uncover key mechanisms underlying cognitive processes. In the long term, this research is expected to provide fundamental insight that, in the future, could lead to significant health and social benefits to Australia by enhancing quality of life and reducing the burden of memory-related conditions in aging populations and individuals with neurodegenerative diseases. To ensure research outcomes reach beyond academia, the results will be made publicly available through blog posts on school social media and the lab page, as well as through talks at local high schools and public events."}}}