Profile_HamishInnes-Brown.jpg

Hamish Innes-Brown

Bachelor of Cognitive Science (Honours), 1999. PhD, Swinburne University of Technology, 2012

Research Fellow, Bionics Institute

P: +61 3 9667 7529
F: +61 3 9667 7518
E: hinnes-brown@bionicsinstitute.org

Hamish is a research scientist at the Bionics Institute in Melbourne. He is interested in all aspects of how the mind perceives and builds up a representation of the outside world. He has a Bachelor of Cognitive Science (hons) from the University of Western Australia, and a PhD in neuroscience from Swinburne University. Currently he is working to improve the way that vital but subtle sounds are transmitted via a bionic ear to the brain. Perceiving these sounds properly is crucial for communication and function in complex social, education, and work environments.

Real/potential impacts

The Bionics Institute conducts research to develop and improve the function of medical bionic devices. These include the bionic ear, the bionic eye, and implants to control epileptic seizures and Parkinson's disease. My own work is aimed at improving the way the bionic ear operates, to allowusers to function more successfully in complex social and working environments.

In these situations, being able to perceive subtle differences in sound is crucial to understanding the difference between a question and a statement in a job interview, understanding the teacher's voice in a noisy classroom, or makes it possible to enjoy and participate in music throughout the lifespan. Being unable to perceive sound properly results in withdrawalfrom social, working, and educational environments from youth to old age. This work takes place in the medical research sector, and the Institute has close contacts with hospitals, universities, and commercial partners in Victoria, nationally, and internationally.
 
As the population ages and exposure to noise increases, these problems will become more prevalent. Our work with the bionic ear hasalready directly improved the lives of nearly 250,000 people world-wide. This is a large number, but is very small compared to the number of people who could potentially benefit. Improving the technology so that it is more accessible and useful in all possible listening environments will increase social and economic benefits throughout the lifespan.

Research projects

Publications  

  1. Au, A., Marozeau, J. M., Innes-Brown, H., Schubert, E., & Stevens, C. J. (in press). Music for the cochlear implant: Audience response to six commissioned compositions. Seminars in Hearing, Special Issue on Music Appreciation in Cochlear Implants.

  2. Henshall, K. R., Sergejew, A. A., McKay, C. M., Rance, G., Shea, T. L., Hayden, M. J., Innes-Brown, H., & Copolov, D. L. (2012). Interhemispheric transfer time in patients with auditory hallucinations: An auditory event-related potential study. International Journal of Psychophysiology, 84(2), 130–139.
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  3. Innes-Brown, H., Marozeau, J. M., Storey, C. M., & Blamey, P. J. (in press). Tone, rhythm, and timbre perception in school-aged children using cochlear implants and hearing aids. Journal of the American Academy of Audiology.

  4. Marozeau, J. M., Innes-Brown, H., & Blamey, P. J. (in press). The effect of timbre and loudness on melody segregation. Music Perception.

  5. Innes-Brown, H., J. Marozeau, and P. Blamey, The effect of visual cues on difficulty ratings for segregation of musical streams in listeners with impaired hearing. PloS one, 2011. 6(12): p. e29327.
    Full text article

  6. Innes-Brown, H., A. Barutchu, M.N. Shivdasani, D.P. Crewther, D.B. Grayden, and A. Paolini, Susceptibility to the flash-beep illusion is increased in children compared to adults. Developmental Science, 2011. 14(5): p. 1089-99.

  7. Barutchu, A., Danaher, J., Crewther, S. G., Innes-Brown, H., Shivdasani, M. N., & Paolini, A. G. (2010). Audiovisual integration in noise by children and adults. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 105(1-2), 38-50.

  8. Innes-Brown, H., Barutchu, A., Crewther, D. P., Shivdasani, M. N., & Paolini, A. G. (2010). The development of multisensory integration as indexed by an auditory-visual illusion. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience, 41(2), 108.

  9. Innes-Brown, H., Marozeau, J., Grayden, D. B., Burkitt, A. N., & Blamey, P. (2010). Visual cues can improve musical stream segregation for cochlear implant users. Clinical EEG and Neuroscience, 41(2), 108. 
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  10. Marozeau, J., Innes-Brown, H., Grayden, D. B., Burkitt, A. N., & Blamey, P. (2010). The effect of visual cues on auditory stream segregation in musicians and non-musicians. PLoS ONE, 5(6), e11297.doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0011297
    Full text article

  11. Innes-Brown H, Crewther D (2009). The Impact of spatial incongruence on an auditory-visual illusion. PLoS ONE 4(7): e6450. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0006450
    Full text article

  12. Gavrilescu M, Rossell S, Stuart GW, Shea TL, Innes-Brown H, Henshall K, McKay C, Sergejew AA, Copolov D, Egan GF. (2010).Reduced connectivity of the auditory cortex in patients with auditory hallucinations: a resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging study. Psychol Med. Jul;40(7):1149-58.

  13. Barutchu, A., Crewther, S. G., Innes-Brown, H., & Crewther, D. P. (2005). Audiovisual integration differs between males and females: An event related potentials study. Australian Journal of Psychology, 57, 18-18.

  14. Price, G.W., Michie, P.T., Johnston, J., Innes-Brown, H., Kent, A., Clissa, P., Jablensky, A.V. (2006). A multivariate electrophysiological endophenotype, from a unitary cohort, shows greater research utility than any single feature in the Western Australian family study of schizophrenia. Biological Psychiatry. 60(1): 1-1.

  15. Innes-Brown, H., & Crewther, D. (2003). Sound-induced illusory flashing - A spatial exploration. Australian Journal of Psychology, 55, 20-21.

  16. Michie, P., Innes-Brown, H., Todd, J., & Jablensky, A. (2002). Duration of MMN in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Schizophrenia Research, 53(3), 19-19.

Additional information

Papers under review

Batty, R., Rossell, S., Innes-Brown, H., Joshua, N., and Francis, A. (2009). Does the N170 indicate phases of encoding in face perception? Paper under review for the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience.

Conference presentations

  1. Innes-Brown, H., Marozeau, J., Storey C.& Blamey. P. (2010). Improving music perception outcomes for children with hearing impairments: A baseline longitudinal study, Frontiers 2010, July 28-30, Melbourne, Australia.
    PDF of poster 

  2. Marozeau, J., Innes-Brown, H., & Blamey, P. (2010). Comparisons between perceptual cues for auditory streaming, Frontiers 2010, July 28-30, Melbourne, Australia.
    PDF of poster

  3. Innes-Brown, H., Marozeau, J., Grayden, D. B., Burkitt, A. N. & Blamey, P. (2009). Visual cues can improve musical stream segregation for cochlear implant users. Paper presented at the 19th Australasian Psychophysiology Society Conference, November 28-30, Newcastle, Australia.

  4. Innes-Brown, H., Marozeau, J., Grayden, D. B., Burkitt, A. N. &Blamey, P. (2009). Visual information can improve musical stream segregation, Paper presented at the Second International Conference on Music Communication Science (ICoMCS2), 3-4 December, Sydney, Australia.

  5. Marozeau, J., Innes-Brown, H., Grayden, D. B., Burkitt, A. N., and Blamey, P. (2009). The effect of temporal envelope on melody segregation, Paper presented at the Second International Conference on Music Communication Science(ICoMCS2), 3-4 December, Sydney, Australia.

  6. Innes-Brown, H., Barutchu, A., Crewther, S., Shivdasani , M., and Paolini, A. (2009). The development of multisensory integration as indexed by an auditory-visual illusion. Paper presented at the 19th Australasian Psychophysiology Society Conference, November 28-30, Newcastle, Australia.

  7. Innes-Brown, H. (2005). Sound-induced illusory flashes: issues for a psychophysiological investigation. . Paper presented at the 15th Australasian Society for Psychophysiology Conference.  

  8. Innes-Brown, H., Barutchu, A., Crewther, D. P., Shivdasani, M. N., & Paolini, A. G. (2009). The development of multisensory integration as indexed by an auditory-visual illusion. Paper presented at the 19th Australasian Psychophysiology Society Conference

  9. Innes-Brown, H. (2005). Sound-induced illusory flashes: issues for a psychophysiological investigation. . Paper presented at the 15th Australasian Society for Psychophysiology Conference.

  10. Innes-Brown, H., Budd, T. W., Johnston, J., Kent, A., Burg, B., Wichmann, H., et al. (2001). An exploration of the P50 event-related potential as a prospective marker of genetic risk in schizophrenia. . Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the Australia Society for Psychiatric Research. 
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  11. Innes-Brown, H., & Crewther, D. P. (2002). Sound-induced illusory flashing. Paper presented at the 12th Australasian Society for Psychophysiology and 6th Australian Functional Brain Mapping Symposium.

  12. Innes-Brown, H., & Crewther, D. P. (2003). An electrophysiological investigation into the mechanisms of cross-modal attention and integration. Paper presented at the Helsinki Winter School in Cognitive Neuroscience. 

  13. Innes-Brown, H., & Crewther, D. P. (2006). Sound-induced illusory flashes: issues for a psychophysiological investigation. Paper presented at the 7th annual Multisensory Research Forum.

  14. Innes-Brown, H., Marozeau, J., Grayden, D. B., Burkitt, A. N., & Blamey, P. (2010, 23-27 August, 2010). Improving musical streaming for cochlear implant users using visual cues. Paper presented at the Proceedings of the 20th International congress on Acoustics, Sydney, Australia.
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  15. Innes-Brown, H., Michie, P. T., Todd, J., Johnston, J., Wynne, B., Frima, R., et al. (2000). P50 Sensory gating and MMN in patients with Schizophrenia and their first degree relatives. Paper presented at the Annual meeting of the Australian Society for Psychophysiology.

  16. Innes-Brown, H., Sergejew, A. S., Egan, G., Wright, M., Henshall, K., Shea, T. L., et al. (2005). Central auditory processing deficits in patients with auditory hallucinations as revealed by event-related potentials: preliminary results. . Paper presented at the 15th Australasian Society for Psychophysiology Conference.

  17.  Innes-Brown, H., Sergejew, A. S., Egan, G., Wright, M., Henshall, K., Shea, T. L., et al. (2006). Central auditory processing deficits in patients with auditory hallucinations as revealed by event-related potentials. Paper presented at the 12th annual meeting of the Organization for Human Brain Mapping. 
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  18. Marozeau, J., Innes-Brown, H., Grayden, D. B., Burkitt, A. N., & Blamey, P. (2010, 32-27 August, 2010). Ability of cochlear implant users to segregate a melodic line Paper presented at the Proceedings of 20th International Congress on Acoustics, Sydney, Australia.

  19. Michie, P. T., Innes-Brown, H., Todd, J., & Jablensky, A. V. (2001). Duration MMN in first-degree relatives of patients with schizophrenia spectrum disorders. Paper presented at the Davos winter workshop. 
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  20. Michie, P. T., Innes-Brown, H., Todd, J., Wynne, B., Frima, R., Dedman, K., et al. (2000). Reduced duration MMN in first degree relatives of patients with a schizophrenia spectrum disorder. Paper presented at the 2nd International Congress on Mismatch Negativity and its Clinical Applications.

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