How the brain remembers rewarding places
Official title: Neural circuit dynamics of spatial reward memory
Funded at University of Colorado · NIH-11494658 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers are mapping brain circuits in animals to learn how rewarding places are remembered, hoping this will help people with memory problems or addiction.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Colorado NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boulder, UNITED STATES) |
| Project start | May 3, 2024 |
| Project end | April 30, 2029 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $225,176 |
| NIH project number | 4R00MH135993-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11494658 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Although this project uses animal experiments and does not enroll people, it is most relevant to individuals with memory disorders (including Alzheimer's-related memory loss) or substance use disorders who want research that could guide future treatments.
✕Less likely to help
Patients seeking immediate treatment or direct participation should not expect personal medical benefit from this animal-focused project.
What this research studies
This research records nerve-cell activity in mice and rats while they learn where rewards are located, using calcium imaging and two-photon microscopy to watch many cells at once. The team uses behavioral tasks that separate the reward itself from sights, movement, and memory demands so they can pinpoint what is being learned. They focus on the hippocampus and medial entorhinal cortex to see how an overrepresentation of rewarded locations develops and how these regions synchronize. Findings from these animal experiments are intended to improve understanding of memory disorders and addiction in people.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could reveal how specific brain circuits encode rewarded locations and point to new targets to improve memory or treat addictive behaviors.
How similar studies have gone: Prior animal studies have shown reward-related overrepresentation in hippocampus and entorhinal cortex, and this project builds on those findings using newer imaging methods and behavioral designs.
Where this research is happening
-
University of Colorado
Boulder, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Sosa, Marielena — University of Colorado
- Study coordinator: Sosa, Marielena
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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.