Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
What is consciousness? Can we tell if other animals experience subjectivity, or whether there will be conscious machines or robots? These fundamental philosophical questions are now being explored by neuroscientist Associate Professor Nao Tsuchiya and his team.
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Research interests
Why and how does our subjective conscious experience emerge from physical electrochemical activity in the brain? Why is neuronal activity in the cortex, but not in the cerebellum, responsible for consiousness? Do any other animals experience subjectivity? If so, how can we know? Will there be conscious machines or robots? How can we test it? These are fascinating fundamental questions, which used to be questions for philosophers, but now they are for neuroscientists. In particular, our current projects focus on:
1. Behavioural effects and neuronal correlates of conscious and non-conscious processing.
2. Clarifying the differences and relationship of the neuronal mechanisms of consciousness and attention.
3. Analysis of multi-channel neurophysiological data to understand the neuronal mechanisms of consciousness.
4. Testing and developing quantitative theories of consciousness using empircal neuronal data.
Monash teaching commitment
PSY3280 Neural basis of consciousness
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
Education/Academic qualification
Computation and Neural Systems, PhD, Attention and Awareness: Visual Psychophysics and Aversive Conditioning in Humans, California Institute of Technology
1 Sept 2000 → 1 Jul 2005
Award Date: 1 Jul 2006
Science, Bachelor, Synaptogenesis in cultured cerebellum from rat brain, Kyoto University
1 Apr 1996 → 31 Mar 2000
Award Date: 31 Mar 2000
External positions
Visiting Researcher, Osaka University
1 Dec 2015 → …
Visiting Researcher, Advanced Telecommunications Research Institute International (ATR)
1 Nov 2010 → …
Research area keywords
- Consciousness
- Neuroscience
- Attention
- Qualia
- Quantum Cognition
- Category theory
- Qualia Structure
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
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The Dreamscape Project: Phenomenology and neurophysiology of dreams
Windt, J. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Tsuchiya, N. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Andrillon, T. (Partner Investigator (PI))
Australian Research Council (ARC)
13/06/24 → 12/06/27
Project: Research
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Lifting the veil: Altered visual perception in derealisation
Tsuchiya, N. & Kusztor, A.
19/02/24 → 1/08/26
Project: Research
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NHMRC Equipment Grant - New system to manipulate neural circuit dynamics based on Digital Mirror Device (DMD) technology
Shimaoka, D., Cowley, M., Hall, G. S., Rosa, M., Andrews, Z., Coxon, J., Fornito, A., Pang, J., Tsuchiya, N. & Bellgrove, M.
1/11/23 → 31/12/24
Project: Research
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Mind wandering and creative incubation: an online replication and extension
Decat, N., Yokoyama, A., Windt, J., Tsuchiya, N. & Andrillon, T.
5/06/23 → 30/09/24
Project: Research
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Pilot studies for the adversarial testing of predictive processing and integrated information theories of consciousness
Pennartz, C. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Olcese, U. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Muckli, L. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Hohwy, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Boly, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Tsuchiya, N. (Associate Investigator (AI))
1/03/21 → 31/08/21
Project: Research
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Conscious perception of fear in faces: Insights from high-density EEG and perceptual awareness scale with threshold stimuli
Maffei, A., Gambarota, F., Liotti, M., Dell'Acqua, R., Tsuchiya, N. & Sessa, P., May 2024, In: Cortex. 174, p. 93-109 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Feedforward connectivity patterns from visual areas to the front of the brain contain information about sensory stimuli regardless of awareness or report
Rowe, E. G., Garrido, M. I. & Tsuchiya, N., Mar 2024, In: Cortex. 172, p. 284-300 17 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access2 Citations (Scopus) -
When mind and body align: examining the role of cross-modal congruency in conscious representations of happy facial expressions
Quettier, T., Moro, E., Tsuchiya, N. & Sessa, P., 2024, In: Cognition and Emotion. 38, 2, p. 267–275 9 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
2 Citations (Scopus) -
An adjunction hypothesis between qualia and reports
Tsuchiya, N., Saigo, H. & Phillips, S., 30 Jan 2023, In: Frontiers in Psychology. 13, 14 p., 1053977.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access3 Citations (Scopus) -
A Quantum Geometric Framework for Modeling Color Similarity Judgments
Epping, G. P., Fisher, E. L., Zeleznikow-Johnston, A. M., Pothos, E. M. & Tsuchiya, N., Jan 2023, In: Cognitive Science. 47, 1, 41 p., e13231.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access6 Citations (Scopus)
Activities
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Convergence Science Network
Nao Tsuchiya (Contributor)
2019Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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Consciousness and Cognition (Journal)
Nao Tsuchiya (Editorial board member)
2017Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
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From Neural Basis of Consciousness to Artificial Consciousness
Nao Tsuchiya (Contributor)
2016Activity: Community Talks, Presentations, Exhibitions and Events › Public lecture/debate/seminar
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Neuroscience of Consciousness (Journal)
Nao Tsuchiya (Associate editor)
2015 → …Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
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Invited Lecturer for 4 summer schoolsConsciousness: from theory to practice. Neuroscience School of Advanced School (NSAS), Venice, Italy, 2018 (organized by Giulio Tononi) Participated as a co-presenter. Initiative for the Synthesis of Studies of Awareness (ISSA), Japan, 2017 (Lecturer: Tsuchiya, Kanai, Albantakis, Zahavi, Tani, Amano, Nishimoto, Yamagishi, Doya, Nagai, Ishiguro, Osaka, Hut) Initiative for the Synthesis of Studies of Awareness (ISSA), Japan, 2015 (Tsuchiya, Wilke, Gallagher, Myowa, Doya, Asada, Nagai, Amano, Nishimoto, Colombetti, Virgo, Guttenberg, Smith, Hut) Lecture at Autumn School for Computational Neuroscience (ASCONE) 2016, Nagano, Japan
Nao Tsuchiya (Organiser)
2015 → …Activity: Participating in or organising an event types › Contribution to workshop, seminar, course