How brain regions work together during memory and imagination
Official title: Coordinated mental simulation in the hippocampus and primary visual cortex during active behavior
Funded at University of California, San Francisco · NIH-11033991 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study is looking at how two key parts of the brain work together to help us remember things and imagine future events, using rats to see how different situations affect this teamwork.
Quick facts
| Grant type | Career grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of California, San Francisco NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (San Francisco, United States) |
| Project start | March 1, 2025 |
| Project end | February 28, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $124,205 |
| NIH project number | 1K99EY036953-01 |
| Project ID | NIH-11033991 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates for this research would be individuals experiencing psychiatric disorders that affect sensory perception.
✕Less likely to help
Patients with neurological conditions unrelated to sensory perception may not benefit from this research.
What this research studies
This research investigates how two important areas of the brain, the hippocampus and the primary visual cortex, collaborate to create mental simulations, such as recalling memories or imagining future events. By using advanced tools to monitor brain activity in freely moving rats, the study aims to understand the interaction between these regions during active behavior. The researchers will manipulate various external factors to see how they affect this coordination, providing insights into the underlying mechanisms of sensory perception and cognition.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this research could lead to better understanding and treatment of psychiatric conditions that disrupt sensory perception, such as schizophrenia.
How similar studies have gone: Previous research has shown promising results in understanding brain coordination during cognitive tasks, suggesting that this approach may yield valuable insights.
Where this research is happening
-
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Lee, Kyu Hyun — University of California, San Francisco
- Study coordinator: Lee, Kyu Hyun
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
-
How cancer cells use exosomes to evade the immune system
This study is looking at how cancer cells use tiny bubbles called exosomes to hide proteins that can keep your immune system from fighting the tumor, and by figuring this out, the researchers hope to help doctors understand why some people respond well to cancer treatments while others don’t, ultimately aiming to creat
-
Reducing harm from smoking using electronic cigarettes
This study is looking at whether using electronic cigarettes can be a safer option for people who smoke traditional cigarettes, by comparing the health effects and exposure to harmful substances between the two.
-
Understanding how knee pain and knee obesity and muscle loss affect knee osteoarthritis
This project looks at how knee swelling, excess knee fat, and muscle loss relate to pain and structural changes in knee osteoarthritis in adults.
-
Cutaneous opioid signals in skin inflammation
A mentor-identified clinician-researcher at UCSF is studying how natural skin opioids regulate itch and pain in inflammatory skin conditions like eczema and hidradenitis, with plans to map where these opioids come from and how they affect skin nerves.
-
Pooling international data to understand long-term bisphosphonate use and atypical femur fractures
This project combines large patient datasets from multiple countries to understand how long-term bisphosphonate use relates to rare hip and thigh bone fractures, helping doctors and patients make safer treatment choices.
-
Airway cell and immune cell talks in lung transplant failure
This grant tests how airway cells and immune cells interact to drive chronic rejection after lung transplant, with the goal of slowing or preventing scar-like damage.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.