How the orbitofrontal brain area helps us learn signals and choices
Official title: Probing the mechanisms and circuits underlying orbitofrontal signaling
Funded at Univ of Maryland, College Park · NIH-11393152 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project studies how the brain’s orbitofrontal area helps animals learn what cues mean and guide their choices.
Quick facts
| Grant type | NIH-funded research |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of Maryland, College Park NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (College Park, United States) |
| Project start | August 1, 2025 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $222,913 |
| NIH project number | 5R00DA053633-03 |
| Project ID | NIH-11393152 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Ideal candidates are individuals with interest in brain-behavior research and access to facilities that support non-human animal studies; direct patient participation is not part of this animal study.
✕Less likely to help
Human patients will not participate directly in this animal study.
What this research studies
Researchers plan to study how cues get linked to actions and outcomes in rats, focusing on the orbitofrontal cortex and related brain regions. The work uses an odor-guided task to see how value, identity, and direction are represented in the brain during learning. By recording brain activity as rats learn, they aim to map how integrated information forms a cognitive map that guides decisions. The findings could improve our understanding of how humans learn from cues and make value-based choices.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: Understanding brain circuits for cue learning could inform approaches to mood and decision-making disorders in humans.
How similar studies have gone: Previous work suggests OFC and related circuits encode value and cue information, with ongoing research expanding this model to complex learning.
Where this research is happening
-
Univ of Maryland, College Park
College Park, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Hart, Evan — Univ of Maryland, College Park
- Study coordinator: Hart, Evan
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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.