Modelling neural circuit control of effort under stress

The decision to put in effort to attain rewards is essential for success in life, and critical for survival. Yet, we understand very little about the brain processes that promote persistence and enable individuals to ‘keep going’ instead of ‘give up’ when increasing amounts of effort are required. This project is a collaboration with experimental neuroscientists at The University of Queensland and the University of Newcastle.

We aim to investigate how the decision to persist in exerting effort to obtain a reward is encoded in the brain and affected by stress. In particular, we will develop a computational model of the neural circuits involved in decision-making under stress, aiming to identify mechanisms that explain the experimental results of our collaborators.

This work will generate new knowledge on the neural mechanisms of stress and decision-making—core processes that underpin adaptive behaviours essential for survival. You will become well-versed in both computational neuroscience and the data emerging from animal experiments.