Professor Janet Wiles
Professor

Janet Wiles

Email: 
Phone: 
+61 7 336 52902

Background

Janet Wiles is a Professor in Human Centred Computing at the University of Queensland.

Her multidisciplinary team co-designs language technologies to support people living with dementia and their carers and social robots for applications in health, education, and neuroscience. She is currently developing a citizen science project which uses insights from neuroscience, AI and language technologies to explore the electrical characteristics of mycelial networks of symbiotic fungi in local ecosystems. She received her PhD in computer science from the University of Sydney and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in psychology. She has 30 years’ experience in research and teaching in machine learning, artificial intelligence, bio-inspired computation, complex systems, visualisation, language technologies and social robotics, leading teams that span engineering, humanities, social sciences and neuroscience. She currently teaches research methods for thesis and masters students, and is developing a new course in human-centred AI. Previous special interest courses include a cross disciplinary course ”Voyages in Language Technologies” that introduced computing students to the diversity of Indigenous and non-Indigenous languages, and state-of-the-art tools for deep learning and other analysis techniques for working with language data.

Featured projects

Availability

Professor Janet Wiles is:
Available for supervision
Media expert

Fields of research

Human-centred computing Information and Computing Sciences Machine learning Neural networks

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy, University of Sydney

Search Professor Janet Wiles’s works on UQ eSpace

226 works between 1990 and 2025
All (226) Book (3) Journal Article (94) Other Outputs (5) Edited Outputs (2) Conference Publication (111) Book Chapter (11)

181 - 200 of 226 works

2002

Conference Publication

The inherent appeal of physically controlled peripherals

Johnson, D. M., Gardner, J.M.J., Wiles, J. H., Sweetser, P. M. and Hollingsworth, K. A. (2002). The inherent appeal of physically controlled peripherals. First International Workshop on Entertainment Computing, Makuhari, Japan, 14-17 May 2002. USA: Kluwer Academic Publishers. doi: 10.1007/978-0-387-35660-0

The inherent appeal of physically controlled peripherals

2002

Book Chapter

Methodological issues in simulating the emergence of language

Tonkes, B. and Wiles, J. H. (2002). Methodological issues in simulating the emergence of language. The Transition to Language. (pp. 226-251) edited by A. Wray. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

Methodological issues in simulating the emergence of language

2002

Conference Publication

Visualisation of hierarchical cost surfaces for evolutionary computing

Wiles, J. H. and Tonkes, B. (2002). Visualisation of hierarchical cost surfaces for evolutionary computing. 2002 Congress on Evolutionary Computation, Hawaii, 12-17 May, 2002. Canada: IEEE Press. doi: 10.1109/CEC.2002.1006226

Visualisation of hierarchical cost surfaces for evolutionary computing

2002

Conference Publication

A comparison of neural landscapes: NK, NKp and NKq

Geard, N. L., Wiles, J. H., Hallinan, J. S., Tonkes, B. and Skellett, B. (2002). A comparison of neural landscapes: NK, NKp and NKq. 2002 Congress on Evolutionary Computation, Hawaii, 12-17 May, 2002. Piscataway, NJ: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. doi: 10.1109/CEC.2002.1006234

A comparison of neural landscapes: NK, NKp and NKq

2002

Conference Publication

The rise and fall of learning: a neural network model of the genetic assimilation of acquired traits

Watson, James and Wiles, Janet (2002). The rise and fall of learning: a neural network model of the genetic assimilation of acquired traits. The 2002 Congress on Evolutionary Computation (CEC 2002), Hawaii, United States, 12-17 May 2002. New York City, United States: IEEE. doi: 10.1109/CEC.2002.1006994

The rise and fall of learning: a neural network model of the genetic assimilation of acquired traits

2002

Conference Publication

Evolving Complex Integrated Behaviour by Masking and Unmasking Selection Pressures

Wiles, Janet, Watson, James, Tonkes, Bradley and Deacon, Terrence (2002). Evolving Complex Integrated Behaviour by Masking and Unmasking Selection Pressures. International Conference on Complex Systems (ICCS2002), Nashua, NH, United States, 9-14 June 2002.

Evolving Complex Integrated Behaviour by Masking and Unmasking Selection Pressures

2002

Conference Publication

Diversity maintenance on neutral landscapes: An argument for recombination

Geard, N. L. and Wiles, J. H. (2002). Diversity maintenance on neutral landscapes: An argument for recombination. 2002 Congress on Evolutionary Computation, Hawaii, 12-17 May, 2002. Piscataway, NJ: The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. doi: 10.1109/CEC.2002.1006235

Diversity maintenance on neutral landscapes: An argument for recombination

2001

Conference Publication

Computer games with intelligence

Johnson, Daniel and Wiles, Janet (2001). Computer games with intelligence. 10th IEEE International Conference on Fuzzy Systems, , , December 2, 2001-December 5, 2001.

Computer games with intelligence

2001

Journal Article

Guest editorial - evolutionary computation and cognitive science: modeling evolution and evolving models

Wiles, J. H. and Hallinan, J. S. (2001). Guest editorial - evolutionary computation and cognitive science: modeling evolution and evolving models. IEEE Transaction on Evolutionary Computation, 5 (2), 89-92. doi: 10.1109/TEVC.2001.918428

Guest editorial - evolutionary computation and cognitive science: modeling evolution and evolving models

2001

Conference Publication

Selection procedures for module discovery: Exploring evolutionary algorithms for cognitive science

Wiles, J. H., Schulz, R., Bolland, S., Tonkes, B. and Hallinan, J. S. (2001). Selection procedures for module discovery: Exploring evolutionary algorithms for cognitive science. Twenty-Third Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1-4 August, 2001. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Selection procedures for module discovery: Exploring evolutionary algorithms for cognitive science

2001

Conference Publication

Probing the persistent question marks

Wiles, J. H., Schulz, R., Hallinan, J. S., Bolland, S. and Tonkes, B. (2001). Probing the persistent question marks. Genetic and Evolutionary Computation Conference (GECCO-2001), San Francisco, 7-11 July, 2001. San Francisco: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.

Probing the persistent question marks

2001

Book Chapter

Representation beyond finite states: Alternatives to pushdown automata

Wiles, J. H., Blair, A. D. and Boden, M. B. (2001). Representation beyond finite states: Alternatives to pushdown automata. A Field Guide to Dynamical Recurrent Networks. (pp. 129-142) edited by J.J. Kolen and S.C. Kremer. Piscataway, New Jersey, U.S.A.: IEEE.

Representation beyond finite states: Alternatives to pushdown automata

2001

Journal Article

Computer games with intelligence

Johnson, D. M. and Wiles, J. H. (2001). Computer games with intelligence. Australian Journal of Intelligent Information Processing Systems, 7 (1), 29-36.

Computer games with intelligence

2001

Conference Publication

How learning can guide evolution in hierarchical modular tasks

Wiles, J. H., Tonkes, B. and Watson, J. R. (2001). How learning can guide evolution in hierarchical modular tasks. Twenty-Third Annual Conference of the Cognitive Science Society, Edinburgh, Scotland, 1-4 August, 2001. Mahwah, New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

How learning can guide evolution in hierarchical modular tasks

2001

Conference Publication

Effective affective user interface design in games

Johnson, D. M. and Wiles, J. H. (2001). Effective affective user interface design in games. International Conference on Affective Human Factors Design, Singapore, 27-29 June 2001. London, UK: Asean Academic Press Ltd.

Effective affective user interface design in games

2000

Journal Article

Context-free and context-sensitive dynamics in recurrent neural networks

Boden, Mikael and Wiles, Janet (2000). Context-free and context-sensitive dynamics in recurrent neural networks. Connection Science: journal of neural computing, artificial intelligence, and cognitive research, 12 (3-4), 197-210. doi: 10.1080/095400900750060122

Context-free and context-sensitive dynamics in recurrent neural networks

2000

Journal Article

Stroop Performance in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Preliminary Test of Theories of Damage Using a Connectionist Simulation

Wiles, Janet, Chenery, Helen J., Hallinan, Jennifer, Blair, Alan and Naumann, Daniel (2000). Stroop Performance in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Preliminary Test of Theories of Damage Using a Connectionist Simulation. Brain and Language, 74 (3), 341-344. doi: 10.1006/brln.2000.2359

Stroop Performance in Alzheimer’s Disease: A Preliminary Test of Theories of Damage Using a Connectionist Simulation

2000

Conference Publication

Evolving learnable language

Tonkes, B., Blair, A. D. and Wiles, J. H. (2000). Evolving learnable language. Advances in NIPS 12, Denver, December 1999. USA: MIT Press.

Evolving learnable language

2000

Conference Publication

Evolving learnable languages

Tonkes, Bradley, Blair, Alan and Wiles, Janet (2000). Evolving learnable languages. 13th Annual Neural Information Processing Systems Conference, NIPS 1999, Denver, CO, United States, 29 November-4 December 1999. Maryland Heights, MO, United States: Morgan Kaufmann Publishers.

Evolving learnable languages

2000

Book Chapter

Memory performance of master go players

Burmeister, J. M., Saito, Y., Yoshikawa, A. and Wiles, J. H. (2000). Memory performance of master go players. Games in AI Research. (pp. 271-286) edited by van der Herick, Iisa. Venlo, The Netherlands: Van Spijk.

Memory performance of master go players

Current funding

  • 2023 - 2025
    Bridging the Digital Divide: Building Health Self-Efficacy through Communication-Accessible Online Environments
    NHMRC MRFF PPHR - Consumer Led Research
    Open grant

Past funding

  • 2022 - 2024
    AI and automation in language technologies: securing Queensland's data sovereignty
    Trusted Autonomous Systems Defence Cooperative Research Centre
    Open grant
  • 2021 - 2024
    Measuring, Monitoring, and Motivating Adherence to Self-Managed Aphasia Treatment
    NHMRC MRFF - Cardiovascular Health Mission
    Open grant
  • 2018 - 2021
    Opie: Indigenous Language Robots for community-led revitalisation
    Department Communication & the Arts
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2019
    Discovering patterns in human-robot interaction: new tools for complex adaptive social systems
    Commonwealth Defence Science and Technology Group
    Open grant
  • 2017 - 2018
    Discovering patterns in human-robot interaction: New tools for complex adaptive social systems
    United States Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Lexical splits: a novel perspective on the structure of words (Arts & Humanities Research Council Grant administered by Uni of Surrey)
    University of Surrey
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2019
    Behavioral, Physiological, and Quantitative Models of Pro-Social Behavior (NIH grant administered by the University of California San Diego)
    University of California, San Diego
    Open grant
  • 2016 - 2018
    Bio-Inspired Peripersonal Space Sensors for Social Interaction
    United States Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development
    Open grant
  • 2015 - 2018
    Evaluating recurrence as a measure of change in interpersonal dynamics
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2017
    Human-robot interactions: Social micro-abilities to establish and manage social exchange
    United States Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2022
    ARC Centre of Excellence for the Dynamics of Language (ANU lead institution)
    Australian National University
    Open grant
  • 2014 - 2017
    Brain Eager: Socially Situated Neuroscience: Creating a suite of tools for studying sociality and interoception
    University of California, San Diego
    Open grant
  • 2013 - 2016
    The Development of Automated Advanced Data Analysis Techniques for the Detection of Aberrant Patterns of Prescribing Controlled Drugs
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2015
    Bio-inspired computation: Clock-free, grid-free, scale-free, and symbol-free
    United States Air Force Office of Scientific Research
    Open grant
  • 2012 - 2015
    Situation Tracking in Large Data Streams
    United States Asian Office of Aerospace Research and Development
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2014
    A systems biology approach to elucidate common principles and menchanisms underlying triplet repeat expansion associated genetic defects (NHMRC project adminsitered by Monash University)
    Monash University
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2017
    iRat: A rat-sized rodent for bridging from neural systems to behavioural neuroscience
    University of California, San Diego
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2013
    Data Mining Applications in the Regulation of Prescription Opioids
    Queensland Health
    Open grant
  • 2011 - 2012
    Interneurons as clock-free regulators of neural information transfer
    University of California, San Diego
    Open grant
  • 2011
    A systems biology approach to elucidate common principles and mechanisms underlying triplet repeat expansion associated genetic defects
    NHMRC Project Grant
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2012
    Understanding Patient Flow Bottlenecks and Patterns from Hospital Information Systems Data
    UQ Collaboration and Industry Engagement Fund
    Open grant
  • 2010 - 2011
    Talking with Robots:Evolving Grounded Language for Embodied Agents ( ARC Discovery Project administered by QUT)
    Queensland University of Technology
    Open grant
  • 2009
    Talking with Robots: Evolving Grounded Language for Embodied Agents
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2009
    Structure-Function relationships in stroke data
    Washington University in St Louis
    Open grant
  • 2008 - 2011
    Detecting and Understanding Dysfunctional Anomalies in Queensland Healthcare Databases
    ARC Linkage Projects
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2011
    How does the birth of new neurons (on shorter time scales) represent episodes at longer time scales from behavioural, neural and modelling perspectives
    University of California, San Diego
    Open grant
  • 2007 - 2008
    Exploring the behavioural consequences of neurogenesis in dentate gyrus
    University of California at San Diego - The Kavli Institute for Brain and Mind
    Open grant
  • 2006 - 2011
    Thinking Systems: Navigating Through Real and Conceptual Spaces
    ARC Special Initiative
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2006
    The Application of Machine Learning Techniques in Predicting Medical Outcomes
    UQ FirstLink Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2005 - 2007
    Enhancing Intelligent Robot Navigation with the Evolution of a Robot-Friendly Language
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2003 - 2008
    ARC Centre for Complex Systems
    ARC Centres of Excellence
    Open grant
  • 2003
    Computational Modeling of RNA Control Networks
    ARC Discovery Projects
    Open grant
  • 2002
    Evaluating connectionist models of normal and impaired semantic memory
    University of Queensland Research Development Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 2001
    To attend Complex Systems Summer School & collaborate with colleagues at the Santa Fe Institute Faculty
    UQ Travel Grants Scheme
    Open grant
  • 1999
    A connectionist simulation of the stroop effect in alzheimer's dementia
    ARC Australian Research Council (Small grants)
    Open grant
  • 1998 - 2000
    Evaluating learning in recurrent neural networks: unifying and extending models of linguistic processes
    ARC Australian Research Council (Large grants)
    Open grant
  • 1997
    Development and evaluation of computational primitives in artificial neural network modelling
    ARC Australian Research Council (Large grants)
    Open grant
  • 1995 - 1997
    Development and evaluation of computational primitives in artificial neural network modeling
    ARC Australian Research Council (Large grants)
    Open grant

Availability

Professor Janet Wiles is:
Available for supervision

Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.

Supervision history

Current supervision

  • Doctor Philosophy

    Adapting Spoken Language Modeling for Data-Resource Constrained Languages

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Marie Boden

  • Doctor Philosophy

    The storyteller social robot

    Principal Advisor

    Other advisors: Dr Marie Boden

Completed supervision

Enquiries

Contact Professor Janet Wiles directly for media enquiries about:

  • Cognitive science
  • Complex systems
  • Computational modelling
  • Human memory
  • Intelligent systems
  • Memory
  • Science - cognitive

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