Vision, Touch and Hearing Research Centre
Encyclopedia
The Vision Touch and Hearing Research Centre (VTHRC, 1988-2007) was the first Commonwealth Special Research Centre to be awarded to the University of Queensland
. Located on the St. Lucia campus of the University of Queensland, Brisbane
, Australia, the VTHRC was headed by Prof. Jack Pettigrew
FRS, FAAS.
The core research conducted at the VTHRC involved the use of sensory systems as models for understanding brain function and neuronal plasticity. Other major research themes included neuronal death and neuroprotection, the evolution
and functional adaptation of sensory systems (sensory ecology) and the brain, the neuronal basis of behaviour (neuroethology
), mental health and altered states of consciousness. Throughout its first decade (1988-1998) the VTHRC's activities were centered on four 'units', each encompassing multiple lines of research: the Vision
, Touch, Hearing
and Comparative Neuroscience units.
University of Queensland
The University of Queensland, also known as UQ, is a public university located in state of Queensland, Australia. Founded in 1909, it is the oldest and largest university in Queensland and the fifth oldest in the nation...
. Located on the St. Lucia campus of the University of Queensland, Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
, Australia, the VTHRC was headed by Prof. Jack Pettigrew
Jack Pettigrew
John Douglas Pettigrew is Emeritus Professor of Physiology and Director of the Vision, Touch and Hearing Research Centre at the University of Queensland in Australia.Professor Pettigrew's research interest is in comparative neuroscience...
FRS, FAAS.
The core research conducted at the VTHRC involved the use of sensory systems as models for understanding brain function and neuronal plasticity. Other major research themes included neuronal death and neuroprotection, the evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
and functional adaptation of sensory systems (sensory ecology) and the brain, the neuronal basis of behaviour (neuroethology
Neuroethology
Neuroethology is the evolutionary and comparative approach to the study of animal behavior and its underlying mechanistic control by the nervous system...
), mental health and altered states of consciousness. Throughout its first decade (1988-1998) the VTHRC's activities were centered on four 'units', each encompassing multiple lines of research: the Vision
Visual perception
Visual perception is the ability to interpret information and surroundings from the effects of visible light reaching the eye. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight, or vision...
, Touch, Hearing
Hearing (sense)
Hearing is the ability to perceive sound by detecting vibrations through an organ such as the ear. It is one of the traditional five senses...
and Comparative Neuroscience units.