Understanding of nature and biology will be advanced over the next four years, thanks to an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship to develop targeted mathematical tools and machine learning algorithms.

Professor Hamid Laga, from Murdoch University’s School of Information Technology, was awarded the 2025 ARC Future Fellowship and will lead the research, worth $1,276,884.

He says the project will develop mathematical tools and algorithms for the statistical modelling and analysis of how biological objects develop their 3D shape, grow and deform as they interact with their environment.

“The project will generate new knowledge on how to mathematically model 3D geometry, deformations and growth, using a novel generation of neural networks that are physically motivated, compact and fast to train,” Professor Laga said.  

“These are crucial for understanding developmental processes, natural growth and disease progression in biological objects.”

Expected outcomes of the project include the discovery of innovative techniques and computational tools that operate directly on RGB images and videos.

“Substantial benefits will be felt across the fields of computer vision and graphics, biology and health,” Professor Laga said.

In medical diagnosis, abnormal 3D hand and body motion can be an early sign of degenerative neurological diseases.

In biological growth analysis, statistically modelling shape deformations over time is crucial for differentiating normal growth from disease progression and predicting growth trajectories.

The Future Fellowships scheme reflects the Australian Government’s commitment to excellence in research by supporting excellent mid-career researchers to undertake high quality research in areas of national and international benefit, including in national research priorities. 

A total of $114.6 million was awarded to 100 researchers in this round of the 2025 Future Fellowships Scheme.

Image: Professor Hamid Laga